Eternity Ends With An Explosion
by Caelice
Summary: AU. Against his better judgment, Sasori cares for an injured Deidara, all the while convincing himself that it was only to satisfy his own curiosity as to why he was hurt in the first place. SasoDei, Kakuhida.
1. Still Just a Stranger

**Notes: **So, after months of being madly in love with the anime _Naruto _I decided to finally write my own fanfiction instead of just browsing. I was originally a Kakuhida supporter (still am, to the very core) but after a while found out that I absolutely adore Deidara and Sasori, especially together! And so I wrote a Sasodei fic and after finishing the first chapter decided to put it up. I'm also writing a Kakuhida story on the side, but that won't appear for a while considering I have no time to do anything fun anymore.

This story will consist of about three chapters and is Sasodei with hints of Kakuhida.

**Summary: **AU. Against his better judgment, Sasori cares for an injured Deidara, all the while convincing himself that it was only to satisfy his own curiosity as to why he was hurt in the first place. SasoDei, slight Kakuhida.

**Rating:** T for swearing and hints of violence.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto characters. _Naruto_ and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

Eternity Ends With An Explosion

"_Would you spare some change, ma'am, for someone who desperately needs it?" _

_A stunned silence. The sound of coins clinking together and being dropped into a cup. A mumbled 'thank you' followed by 'no problem' before an uncomfortable silence. _

_The cup shakes and the loud tinkle of coins indicates it's nearly empty. "What's a pretty thing like you doin' all alone this time o' night? And in this part of town?" _

"_Oh, I think I'm lost. I looking for my friend's apartment, but I've been searching for the past half hour and I can't find it." Looks around, eyebrows pulled together in desperation. The sun has set and the only light left is the street lamps. "Could you help me?"_

"_Ayuh. I know this place like the back o' my hand. Where you headed?"_

"_Here's the address. She wrote it down, but I'm new to this place so…"_

_Ruffle of papers. He glances down, then nods. "Ah, I know this place. Yeah, it's very far from here, it is. About two hours walk." She groans in frustration, burying her face in her hands. _

_Thirty seconds pass. He knows when to be silent. _

"_I'm going to call my friend." _

-0-

The only thing recognizable about the boy was the long, blond hair that cascaded over his face. In a very familiar style, some of it had been pulled back into a messy ponytail while the rest hung down to below his shoulders. The left side of his face was completely covered by his long fringe, which was not unusual. What _was _unusual was that this time his hair was an attempt to shield stranger's eyes from the numerous bruises covering his face and the ring of purple around his swollen left eye. It was a face that radiated no emotion and was completely expressionless but underneath, he could see the small flicker of fear when he glanced towards him.

The second of recognition had sparked when he'd caught sight of his hair, but he approached cautiously. There was nothing familiar about the blond man's face, as it was in a complete state of disarray and as he watched a stray droplet of blood dripped onto the man's lap. Only when he was close enough for the streetlight to cast a garish color over the figure did he realize who had caught his attention.

Tentatively, with a shyness uncommon to his personality, he reached out and tapped the younger man's shoulder. "Deidara? Is that you?"

His response was only a slow nod. He glanced up, mumbled, "Sasori…" before glancing back down at his hands. In the harsh light Sasori could see the two scars on the palms of his hands. Jagged, straight lines through the middle of his hands were the product of a combination of drunken stupor and a bout of depression, or so Sasori had heard. The scars had been split open again and were bleeding, but he didn't know if they were from self-harm or if someone else had done it.

"Yes, that's right. We've met a few times. You remember."

When Deidara spoke, his voice was blurry and distant. Every word seemed to be dragged from his lips with Herculean effort and his eyelids drooped tiredly. "Yeah, I remember, un. How could I forget?"

Sasori chose to ignore that strangely obscure comment. He watched as Deidara picked at the scarred bumps, tracing a blood crusted nail across his skin gently. His one good eye was narrowed with deep concentration.

"Deidara, what happened to you? What happened to your face?" he asked bluntly. He had never been one for tact or consideration of other people's feelings. There was no awkward situation he couldn't sit through, uncaring of how others were currently suffering.

"Nothing happened to my face, un. Do you not think I'm beautiful?"

"Why are you changing the subject?" he demanded, frustration tainting his voice.

"Am not. You brought up the subject of my face, un. I'm simply asking you if my features please you."

Sasori shook his head, confused, but he refused to show it. A few shockingly red hairs fell into his eyes and he brushed them away with impatience, reflecting his current feelings towards the direction of this conversation. Coldly he said, "Why does it matter? Why are you asking something so irrelevant?"

Deidara lifted his eyes to the streetlight, letting the light wash over him. Sasori noticed the busted lip and shallow scratches on his once smooth cheeks and frowned, curiosity growing.

"I guess you are right. Beauty is…only fleeting after all," the blond whispered, lifting up his hands to admire his fingers. His eyes were glazed, hazy and Sasori immediately identified why Deidara's voice was so slurred. He was simply surprised that he hadn't seen the younger man's blatant drunken state before now.

"You're drunk."

"You're unhappy."

Sasori's eyes widened for a fraction of a second. Deidara's eyes dragged towards him, a cocky smirk gracing his features for a few seconds before falling away. The comment had not been made teasingly, but with every ounce of seriousness that he could possibly possess. At least, that was Sasori's impression of what he'd just said. It didn't matter.

"Impudent little…" he struggled to find a word but gave up when Deidara's eyes closed, a pained expression on his face. He reached up, slightly less sympathetic than before, and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look into his eyes. Blue met grey in an intense conflict and it was only his natural strength that forced Deidara to be still as he mentally took note of Deidara's injuries. Impatiently he brushed Deidara's fringe to stop it from obstructing his face.

Almost no part of his face had been left unmarred by whatever it was that had caused these wounds. The right side of his face, although subject to a swelling cheek and four scratches, was still nothing serious and could have been passed off as a slap from a scorned lover. Even the bruising on his forehead was barely noticeable in the dark. But his left side…oh, his left side was a mess. Deidara whimpered as Sasori brushed his fingers over the split lip, which had crusted over with dried blood, then the ring of dark purple bruising around a puffy eye that had suffered a vicious hit from a well-aimed fist. His cheek was dark and bruised and he didn't dare even brush against it with the lightest of touches.

"What happened, Deidara?"

"Nothing happened."

"You're hurt." Deidara pushed Sasori's hand away roughly, a glimmer of anger expressing itself for a second before fading. He made to turn away, grimacing. "_Don't _look away from me." His voice was cold, furious at the other's blatant lack of respect. The sharpness seemed to cut straight through Deidara and he winced. His eyes were focused somewhere on the ground, ignoring Sasori's orders.

"_Poison_…you're _poisoning _me with your words," he mumbled. Reaching next to him he picked up the bottle of Jack Daniels next to him and took a gulp before Sasori could stop him. The redhead took the bottle, tugging it from reluctant hands and tossed it at the wall casually. He tried not to show the anger bubbling inside of him, not wanting Deidara to be even less communicative than he was at the moment. "Poison can kill me. But it doesn't matter…life is transient. That's what makes it beautiful. That's what makes it _art_."

He was nothing like the arrogant, smirking young man that Sasori had met briefly before. They had only encountered due to their mutual friends – Sasori being close to Kakuzu, Kakuzu living with Hidan, Hidan being best friends with Deidara – but had barely exchanged any words between them. But Sasori had already gotten a solid impression from the way Deidara spoke with his foul-mouthed friend. He was smug and sure of himself, confident in his opinions and outwardly disrespectful to those who pissed him off. He wasn't weak-willed, that was for certain, and his opinions had some ground to them and at no point did the words 'boastful' pass through Sasori's mind, but he had been completely aware of the confidence that the younger man radiated.

"Since when did you care about art?"

"I don't know…but I was just thinking about it and then I realized…true art is something that is fleeting, transient. Art can only be appreciated if it's brief. Don't you think?" Deidara asked, swaying forward. He leaned forward on the bench he was sitting on and for a moment Sasori was worried he was going to vomit. He certainly looked ill – his skin had turned pale and the bruises darkened in contrast to the pallor. He stopped, clenching his eyes shut. When he spoke, his voice sounded tight and forced. "Don't you think art is transitory?"

Sasori thought for a second, just to amuse Deidara. "I don't know. I've never really thought about art." It was true. Sasori, although he greatly appreciated art and would enjoy devoting some time to it, had never had enough time to really consider his perspective on it. His life was currently too busy for him to ponder such things. Now that he thought about it, his initial reaction was to completely disagree with Deidara. "I prefer to think that art is something eternal. How can you appreciate art if it lasts for so little time? A memory can't do art any justice. Memories fade over time, therefore if art were fleeting, then it would fade into nothingness. _True _art would be…well, in my opinion, it would be eternal – something that lasts forever."

"That's crap. How can you appreciate something when it's there all the time? Life is only precious because it's so short…" His voice was tinted with morbidity and Sasori felt a chill run down his spine.

"What happened to you? Why are you being like this? _Tell me_ who did this to you."

"Who did what to me? You're not making any sense."

"_Don't give me that!_" Sasori had finally reached the end of his patience, but his voice, although sharp, remained at the same volume. Deidara flinched, then reached next to him for a small flask that had been hidden from Sasori's view. The redhead snatched it and threw it onto the ground. His movements were controlled and not even bordering on dramatic, but the irritation was still palpable. He watched as the toxic liquid dribbled out of the flask, slithering onto the pavement and becoming a stain on the cement. "Don't make me wait for an answer. I detest waiting and I won't hesitate to use force if that's what it takes to get you to answer my question."

Deidara visibly caved under his stern words and he looked completely vulnerable under the merciless spotlight. He sighed, reaching up and brushing his lip with the most careful fingers. Sasori noticed that he had a deep cut through the middle of the palm of his hand, and when he looked down he realized that Deidara's other hand had also almost been sliced open. Frowning, he deduced that Deidara might need stitches and wondered how he hadn't noticed the blood on his shirt and pants.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"I still don't understand what you're asking of me."

"How did you get these bruises? Who sliced your hand open? Were you attacked? I doubt you did this to yourself – the angle wouldn't have allowed you to cause this much damage. Do you have more injuries?" His eyes traveled lower and Deidara shifted under his gaze. "Did they do more than just beat you?" The implication hung in the air, as clear as a bright neon sign flashing in the darkness. He received no answer but from the way Deidara twitched he knew that the blond was only pretending to be oblivious.

"I don't want to talk about it," he said. His voice was a poor attempt at being firm, but it wavered, thick with emotion and as Sasori watched he squeezed his eyes shut, looking miserable at the situation. "I just want to go home."

"Where do you live?"

"A few blocks away from here." He stood up from the bench, touching the metal pole supporting the bus stop he was standing in. "I always come here to take the bus to work, because I don't have a car." He looked around helplessly, suddenly unsure of what he was doing. "I don't know what I'm doing here. I don't know why…I'm here…"

Sasori shrugged, done with the situation. Deidara didn't want to tell him what had happened so he obviously didn't want his help, and Sasori wasn't the sort of person who'd extend his help to those who didn't want it. He didn't care enough to make an extra effort, so instead he turned to leave, already wondering what food he could conjure up from the meager supplies in his fridge.

When Deidara spoke, he stopped.

"Could you please…stay with me?"

-0-

_She walks back to the spot she'd been before. Sits down. "She said she's coming to pick me up by car. She told me to stay where I am." _

"_Awright…" _

"_Mind if I sit here for a while? I don't want to intrude." _

_Shrugs, indifferent. "Makes no difference to me." _

"_Right…thank you." She glances at her watch. _

-0-

"You can sleep in the guest room. It's that door, un," Deidara said, motioning towards it with a bleeding hand. His knuckles were split open and Sasori could see a burn on his wrist. His other hand quickly covered it up, which was also dripping with blood. The cuts had split open during their silent walk back to his apartment. He had been nervously flexing his hands and Sasori had not bothered to advise him against it. "Don't worry; it's not too messy."

Sasori nodded. "Thank you."

Deidara's apartment was neither large nor small and as Sasori had suspected, it was in disarray. His furniture was old and broken and there were books and stationery scattered everywhere. The walls had hundreds of photos scattered all over of Deidara with his friends. His garbage can was almost overflowing with paper and empty wrappers and when Sasori took a step forward broken glass crunched under his feet. He closed his eyes, silently wondering why the hell he had agreed to this. He was starting to regret this decision to stay for the night.

"Ah, sorry about that. I promise I'll clean up…tomorrow. Yeah. Tomorrow, un," Deidara mumbled. He rubbed his cheek, leaving behind a smear of blood.

"You should go take a bath," Sasori said. It was less of a suggestion and more of an order. He didn't want to spend another second looking at the bloodstains on Deidara's shirt. The younger boy didn't seem to care that his hair was sticky with his own blood, or that he was completely barefoot. His feet were scratched and filthy and Sasori winced as the boy shrugged and began to walk towards the bathroom, dirtying the wooden floor. He loathed mess and unfortunately, Deidara's apartment was one big garbage can that he would be sleeping in for the night.

"Make yourself at home. I think there's food in the fridge, which you can have if you want, un. Some of it's expired, so look at the labels before you help yourself," Deidara said before disappearing behind the door.

For the next hour Sasori managed to find a plastic trash bag and collected the empty cans and wrappers around the apartment. He steered clear of Deidara's room and managed to clear up as much as he possibly could. He was not obsessive compulsive, but it bothered him too much to simply let go and after taking out the trash he stood and surveyed the room with a critical eye.

He hadn't wanted to go back to his own apartment. Deidara's invitation had forced him to face the truth – he was lonely.

Sasori was not a social person, but he did not deliberately shy away from all human contact. The loss of his parents had created a divide between him and the rest of his peers at a young age and he'd gotten used to being alone. Growing up he'd gained a few close friends, but he still lived alone and did not have anyone to return to when work was over.

He'd almost automatically turned Deidara down when he'd stopped and realized that he really had nothing else to do and wasn't looking forward to return to his empty apartment. Maybe tonight he could stay at another person's place, wake up and be able to feel someone else's presence nearby. It was a sad and desperate thought, in his opinion, which is why he would never mention it to anyone, but he craved human contact. And unfortunately, Deidara's offer was the only way he could quench his loneliness for the time being.

Glancing around, he decided that maybe he could tolerate this dump for a night. Somehow, although he refused to ever tell Deidara, this place seemed much more homely than his own and he felt comfortable, albeit a little out-of-place as he wasn't used to sleeping anywhere except for his own home.

The sound of water running stopped and almost immediately after Deidara walked out, clad in only a white towel. He exited the bathroom before stopping, looking around in surprise. "Did you clean up, un?" He didn't give Sasori any time to answer. "You can use the green toothbrush – don't worry, it's new. And I have some spare clothes in the closet. I'll go get them, un." He turned and walked to his bedroom.

Sasori could see that the bruises covered the rest of his body as well. Someone really did a number on him and seeing the injuries only peaked his curiosity even more. He wasn't the type of person to make assumptions without reasoning and therefore he decided to keep his mind open until Deidara was ready to tell him what happened.

"Did you eat anything, un?" Deidara asked, returning fully clothed and holding a spare set of pajamas. Sasori shook his head and followed him into the kitchen, which was relatively clean compared to the rest of the apartment. He sensed that this was not a place that Deidara spent a lot of time in, considering how bare it was. "I don't think I really have anything left. I haven't been grocery shopping in a while. Too lazy, I guess…"

The fridge door was opened to reveal a can of tomato sauce, a few random assortments of food and an apple, which rolled onto the ground and came to a stop at Sasori's feet. He stared at it silently while Deidara muttered a few curses, searching through the cans and packets for something that wasn't expired. "Expired, expired, expired, un, gross, expired." He sighed, running a hand through his long hair before pulling out a jar of olives. "This is the only thing that isn't expired, un."

"I think I'll just go to bed now," Sasori said politely. Deidara nodded, looking apologetic before moving back to his room. He stopped at the door, clearing his throat uncomfortable.

"Uh…thank you for staying over, un."

"Don't worry about it." He could see that Deidara wanted to say more, but stopped himself and closed the door to his room. Sasori was relieved, not enjoying the strangeness of the situation. He had to admit that neither of them were much more than acquaintances and they had both acted very strangely – Deidara by inviting him over spontaneously and Sasori by agreeing. He didn't need this to be acknowledged.

He left the kitchen, dropping the apple into the trashcan and entered the guest bedroom, closing the door quietly behind him. He was convinced that he wouldn't be able to sleep easily in a stranger's bed.

Surprisingly, he blacked out the moment his head hit the pillow and the next second he woke up with sunlight streaming through the open curtains and a killer headache. He groaned, covering his eyes and cursing himself for not closing the curtains.

Sasori had always preferred waking up in the dark and this hatred for morning sunshine seemed to induce painful headaches. Grumbling, he stood up and reached for the curtains, pulling them to a close and blocking out the sun's rays. The darkness was a gentle relief and the throbbing subsided almost immediately.

With a twinge of annoyance he realized that he was going to have to wear the clothes he wore yesterday to work. He pulled on his shirt and pants, frowning at the wrinkles in the material, knowing that his boss was going to be surprised by his appearance. Sasori never got in trouble – he was always on time, looking completely pristine and did his work at the best of his ability. There was really nothing to complain about, and therefore although his boss was not a patient man with others, he tended to allow Sasori a little more freedom than the others.

He tried to smooth out his shirt as much as possible and when he was finally satisfied he picked up the briefcase he'd left by the door and walked out, shutting the door silently in case Deidara had not woken up.

He was greeted by a trembling young man slumped over the kitchen table, skin shining with sweat and eyes clenched shut. Deidara had not noticed his presence and from what Sasori could tell, he was suffering from a mild fever. He sighed, putting down his briefcase with an audible _thud_, causing the other man to look up.

"H-hey, you're awake, un," he said, his voice shaking. He tried to smile, but it was a weak attempt and instead he watched as Sasori approached him. The older man felt his forehead, noting the slightly raised temperature and sighed. He didn't know much about treating sick people, but it was pretty obvious that Deidara wasn't well and considering the state of his apartment and fridge, he couldn't very well leave him all alone. "F-fuck I'm tired. My hands won't st-stop shaking, un."

"Did you get any sleep last night?"

"Nope, un. I couldn't get comfortable." Considering his injures, it was easy to see why. "F-felt sick this morning and tried to make myself s-something to eat, but then I remembered th-that there was nothing in the fridge, un."

Sasori rubbed his forehead as Deidara slouched over the table, resting his forehead against the wood. The redhead was torn between leaving for work and staying to make sure Deidara was okay.

If he left, then he would be fulfilling the rules of their silent agreement. He had walked Deidara home, stayed for the night and then left in the morning without any obligation to return or see Deidara again. This was what the man had, in essence, asked of him the other night when inviting him over. Now he was supposed to bid Deidara goodbye and leave for work and forget about what had happened.

The other option would be that he remained with the blond to make sure he was okay, skipped work and went out to buy resources to make sure the blond didn't starve to death during his illness. But, then this would require him staying for longer. It would silently imply that he was taking responsibility for the younger man and tied him down to a person that he barely knew.

He sighed, making his decision within a split second and took out his cell phone. Deidara watched with wide eyes as he lied to his boss about being sick and apologized profusely for missing a day at work. He was sure that Pein suspected he might be lying – it wasn't like Sasori to miss work simply because of illness – but since he wouldn't do something like this without good reason the man said nothing and simply wished him well.

Once he slipped his phone back into his pocket Deidara asked, "What are you doing, un?" He looked thoroughly confused by this sudden turn of events.

"I'm not going to leave you by yourself in this state. You can barely stand and there's nothing for you to eat here that won't send you to the hospital with food poisoning," he said sternly. "I'm going to go grocery shopping."

"But I don't have any money, un," Deidara said hoarsely. There was no reply from Sasori, who simply turned, heading to the front door. He didn't stay to hear Deidara protest and left the apartment, heading to the elevator.

As he made his way to the supermarket he wondered what kind of idiotic move he'd just made. Sasori Akasuna was not a kind, selfless person who offered to take care of people he barely knew. He had no reason to want to help Deidara, much less spend money on him, go grocery shopping for him and stay with him for another day. He wouldn't even do that for his friends, so why had he offered to do it for some random guy who was stubbornly insistent on keeping him in the dark?

He eventually decided that his curiosity was keeping him rooted to Deidara's apartment. He still had no idea why Deidara had been alone at night, bruised, drunk and talking about art.

He walked around the supermarket, picking out some food that would be easy to make and not too expensive. He had a feeling that Deidara didn't exactly spend much time cooking and concluded that ready-made foods would probably have the best results. He didn't want to extend his generosity any more than necessary, but he also wasn't a stingy miser like his friend Kakuzu. Handing over the money to the cashier didn't cause him physical or mental pain.

Once he had finished his shopping he decided to take a taxi back to his apartment to collect some of the things he needed if he was going to stay for a few more nights. Somehow, without realizing it, he had already planned that he was going to stay until Deidara was better.

He collected some clothes and toiletries as well as some medicine he had packed into a cabinet. He assumed that Deidara hadn't bought any and stuffed them into his bag.

Sasori's apartment was large and spacious with minimal furniture and bare walls. Unlike Deidara, he had no pictures on his wall and there was nothing to indicate that he was living there. This could have been absolutely anyone's apart considering its complete lack of personality. He stared at his living room for a second, feeling slightly disappointed with how empty his apartment seemed. This was preferable to Deidara's junkyard, but still cold and unwelcoming. It was practically a reflection of his own personality. Maybe when he returned he would buy a nice painting or a carpet to make the place a little more aesthetically pleasing.

Upon his return he noticed that Deidara had moved from the kitchen chair to the couch and was splayed on it limply, one arm covering his face. He didn't acknowledge Sasori's entrance except to grunt.

"I bought you some food," his guest stated, heading towards the kitchen.

"You didn't have to. I can't pay you back, un," was the bitter reply. He ignored the tone of Deidara's voice, chalking it up to bratty insolence, and began to put the food into the fridge. "You should have gone to work."

"I already called in sick. It would have looked imbecilic if I'd gone to work half an hour later."

"Why did you come back?"

Sasori stopped what he was doing, feeling a slight burst of annoyance with Deidara. "Do you want me to leave, you ungrateful brat?" His outburst, though completely calm and collected, made Deidara lift his arm and look at him with slight shock. The reaction made Sasori's anger diminish slightly and he returned to what he was doing.

"No…" Sasori almost didn't hear the mumbled reply. He ignored it and placed a can of soup onto the table, suddenly aware that he hadn't bought a can opener.

"Then stop complaining," he said.

Deidara was silent as Sasori prepared chicken soup for him. Oftentimes he noticed Deidara watching him with his good eye. His left eye was no longer as puffy as before but he had gotten an icepack while Sasori was out and was currently pressing it down to diminish the rest of the swelling.

Sasori had nothing to say to the young man, and realized that he really knew nothing about the person whose house he'd slept in last night. Deidara wasn't even a friend of his, or a friend of his friend. Deidara was Hidan's friend, whom Sasori knew only through Kakuzu. He barely knew Hidan and although they weren't hostile, they weren't the most compatible and therefore wouldn't get along if Kakuzu weren't there with them. Then again, he'd never have imagined that the short-tempered, greedy Kakuzu would be friends with a loud and vulgar Jashinist.

Deidara and Hidan were best friends, which was all Sasori knew about their relationship. They were both young, arrogant and confident. He had dismissed Deidara so easily under the assumption that if he wasn't able to form a friendship with Hidan, he wouldn't be able to form one with Hidan's best friend.

So why had he agreed to stay at Deidara's?

"Why would you think art is eternal, un? There's nothing beautiful about something that's always the same, never-changing and never-fading. What would be the value of life if it couldn't be taken away at any moment?"

He was jolted back into reality by Deidara's sudden questions. They were back to this again. "How can you appreciate something if it disappears the moment you make it? Art should be something that's doesn't fade or rot, that can be admired for eternity. Your views on art reflect you immaturity; you only see what's happening right now. People like you never look to the future. You're so caught up in the present you never realize the consequences of your actions."

Deidara scoffed, his features twisting into distaste. His opinion of what Sasori had just said couldn't have been any clearer. He sat up, no longer hindered by his fever.

"Your views just reflect how old you are. You refuse to seize the moment and desperately trying to grasp an eternity that you'll never be able to hold onto. You fear the end and that makes you weak, un."

"Of course you would say that. The moment I met you I knew you were the foolish type who dies young. You don't understand the beauty of something lasting. Your art can only be a vague memory because it disappears before anyone can truly appreciate it," Sasori retorted. He'd never found himself so caught up in a discussion about…well, anything. He was not an argumentative person by nature, since not many people tended to contradict someone so intelligent and silently confident. "You're not experienced or mature enough to understand why my perspective on art is right and yours is wrong."

"Fuck you," Deidara snapped.

"What a witty comeback," Sasori drawled. "You certainly proved me wrong." The blond man shot him a glare but didn't continue, allowing Sasori to continue organizing the groceries until he was finished. He had finished preparing the soup as well and although Deidara tried to hide it, he was obviously tempted by the delicious smell. Sasori smirked as the blond reluctantly trudged into the kitchen and slumped into the chair, staring at the soup.

"I'm not hungry, un."

"Stop being a child and eat."

"I'm not a child!" Deidara retorted, but he picked up a spoon began to eat, forgetting that it was steaming hot. Sasori watched him swallow painfully, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm twenty-one, un."

"You certainly don't act like it. I've never met anyone as immature as you. You're almost worse than your rude friend, Hidan."

Deidara pointed a spoon at him. "_Hey! _No one is worse than Hidan! And anyway, you're worse than I am. You're just like your asshead of a friend, Kakuzu. You guys think you're all that and you look down on everyone you meet just 'cause you're richer and have jobs where you can fucking boss everyone around, un. Well, you can just fuck off!" Exhausted by his outburst, he collapsed, breathing heavily. He seemed to have forgotten that he had a fever.

Sasori wasn't sure whether he was amused by someone referring to Kakuzu as 'asshead' or insulted because Deidara had implied he was egotistical and condescending. He chose to be insulted and decided that he had had enough to taking verbal abuse. Sasori wasn't a patient man. He refused to sit down and be insulted by some ignorant little brat who he had helped for no reason whatsoever.

"Perhaps I should leave. I see no reason to remain with someone who shows no gratitude for everything I have done, despite receiving nothing in return except for insults and disrespect." He stood up, impassive eyes lingering on Deidara's surprised face. He walked silently to the door, stopping as his hand grasped the doorknob. "I'll be back for my things tonight. Don't go through my belongings. Believe me, I'll know about it if you have."

He glanced behind, not really sure why he was looking back. Deidara had risen from his seat, looking hesitant as if he were about to say something. His eyes locked onto Sasori's and he closed his mouth, setting his jaw stubbornly. The hurt look remained under the mask of determination and for a second Sasori's resolve flickered and he wondered if he was being reasonable. The man was feverish after all, and probably not feeling at his best.

"Get the _fuck _out of my apartment."

Never mind.

He slammed the door behind him, storming down the hall with as much dignity as he could. He had never been the type of person to throw tantrums or make a scene. His anger was much more quiet and collected, usually intimidating people by implying threats or simply narrowing his eyes which, despite his young-looking face, was incredibly effective.

His mind was currently whirling with too many thoughts, most of them questioning his lapse of sanity the previous night. Not only that, but it had continued up until now.

He had spoken to someone he barely knew, agreed to stay the night, skipped work to take care of him, bought him a variety of food and drinks and even _cooked _for him. Perhaps this would be the actions that a kind and caring person would do in order to help a stranger in need, but Sasori had never been associated with the words 'kind' or 'caring'.

Cold, distant, quiet, arrogant, impatient and the list was nearly endless. Even his own friends had difficulties coming up with virtues for his that described his personality rather than his intelligence.

But there was no way that the person he'd just gone out of his way to help was just allowed to be rude and ill-mannered to him. If this was the treatment he received for reaching out to help someone, perhaps it would be better to ignore the next victim that stumbled along his path. Maybe he should even be unnecessarily cruel – if there was a possibility it would produce the opposite results to what this momentary lapse of judgment had produced.

He spent the next few hours wandering the streets, heading towards his apartment but taking the long way home. Somehow, returning to his place seemed to be a move that he dreaded and he decided to procrastinate and instead just walk to as many places that he knew. He didn't have enough money for a taxi as most of it was in his briefcase and the little he did have had been spent on groceries for Deidara.

_Ungrateful little bastard_, he thought, a slight frown gracing his face.

Then again…he still hadn't found out how Deidara had gotten injured. And unfortunately for Sasori, he didn't like being curious. He liked _knowing _things.

Once the sun had begun to set and the cold settled in, he decided to make his way back to Deidara's apartment, not really looking forward to seeing the blond once again. Ideally he would go in, grab his things and leave immediately without even having to say anything to Deidara. He would leave the medication – he himself rarely fell ill and he wasn't petty enough to want to prolong Deidara's suffering – and wouldn't insist on being paid back for the groceries, but that was it.

He found himself facing Deidara's front door hours after leaving, his hand poised to knock politely. On a whim, he dropped his hand and instead just turned the doorknob and entered. As suspected, Deidara hadn't locked the door.

He also hadn't improved as Sasori could hear the distinct sounds of retching coming from the bathroom. He paused, feeling a slight temptation to go make sure Deidara was all right before changing his mind.

"Hidan? Is that y–oh…it's you."

So much for leaving without being seen.

"I came back for my stuff," he said flatly. Deidara looked terrible; his hair was plastered to the sides of his face, which was covered in a sheen of sweat and his skin was paler than before. Somehow the cuts on his palms had split open again and were bleeding slightly. Sasori watched as Deidara clenched and unclenched his fists nervously. Well that solved the matter of the reopened injuries…

"Your stuff, un. Right…yeah…" Deidara mumbled, leaning against the doorframe. Neither of them moved. "How are you getting home, un?"

Sasori shrugged. "Probably a taxi. I have enough to take me home. It's only a little more than half an hour away." Deidara's eyes were fixated on the ground between them. He looked sheepish and slightly reluctant to speak, but when he did finally say something it didn't sound as forced as Sasori had expected.

"It's pretty late, un. You should…you should probably just stay another night and leave tomorrow," he said, so quietly that Sasori wouldn't have heard him if he hadn't been listening intently for him to speak. "I mean, you know, if you're okay with that, un. It's just that you've already brought some of your stuff over…so you might as well…" He trailed off weakly, discouraged by Sasori's silence.

Sasori surveyed the anxious looking blond for a few seconds without saying anything. Then he nodded, his features remaining expressionless.

"Yes, it is late. It would probably be more sensible to leave tomorrow considering it's cold outside and I don't have my coat," he stated finally. Deidara's lips twitched and he nodded, looking considerably happier.

The next day Sasori went to work. Once he left, he returned to Deidara's apartment solely because he believed it would be unfair to leave while the blond was sick.

The next week he went to his apartment and brought back more of his things. He rationalized that since Deidara was terrible at dressing his wounds and unable to cook anything except for cup noodle he would leave after his injures were healed.

Once he came to the realization that he'd stayed at Deidara's for almost three months he decided that he had subconsciously been making up excuses to stay when truthfully, he was there because of his curiosity concerning the reason as to why Deidara had been hurt, drunk and alone the night he had first stayed over.

He also convinced himself that the growing friendship between them was just his way to become closer to Deidara, therefore earning his trust and eventually being a good enough friend to be told the truth of what happened.

-0-

_She glances at her watch for the fifth time. "What's taking her so long?"_

_She's not talking to him. She's talking to herself, or the air. He speaks. _

"_Where d'ya live? You must live quite far from 'ere." _

_It takes a few seconds for her to realize that there's no one else around. _

"_Oh, well, I just moved here a few days ago. I was supposed to move into my apartment but it flooded so I'm staying with a friend for a few days." _

_He nods. _

_She politely asks, "Do you stay around here?" _

"_Uh-yeah." _

-0-

The first thing he had noted was that Deidara had painted over the walls again. He had splashed black paint over the artistic 'Red Forest' and had begun with a silver and black vortex in the bottom corner of the living room wall, completely obscuring the old painting. The couches had been moved away from the wall to the middle of the room in order to make space for the newspapers on the ground. The rest of the furniture had been cramped together or thrown out – not that Sasori really cared.

In his opinion, the living room was much nicer without the useless junk strewn about that Deidara had never bothered throwing out. The room was still much messier than his apartment, but at least it was more bearable.

He crossed the living room, setting his briefcase next to the couch and surveying the wall. The jagged, clawed branches of the trees were now being smeared over by careless black spirals – another disturbing product of Deidara's imagination. The dark images were accompanied by silver spirits being swept in a hurricane of color that was spreading from the corner outwards. Soon the vortex would completely cover the old painting until it was nothing but a memory. Once Deidara had finished this painting, inspiration would strike him and he would begin to paint over it again in a completely new design.

Sasori admired the artistic talent that Deidara had been repressing for years, but made it clear to the young artist that he would appreciate it much more if he didn't paint something new over the old art, erasing it forever.

He nearly called out to Deidara to make his presence known but stopped when he heard the distinct sound of Deidara's voice. He neared the kitchen door, which was closed, and pressed his ear to the wood, listening intently.

"…you been painting on the fucking wall?" That voice was familiar and Sasori wouldn't have immediately been able to place it if it weren't for the swear word, immediately identifying the speaker as Hidan.

"It's an expression of my art, un"

"I swear there was another fucking picture on there last week. And another one the week before that. And anoth-"

Deidara interrupted. "Once I've finished, I paint over it again."

"Why the fuck would you do that?"

"To make it art…if I left it on the wall, it wouldn't be art. The artistic value of the painting would be next to nothing, because it's not fleeting, un. Now, it's art because it was so temporary," he explained. Sasori felt the slight temptation to roll his eyes. The words were so familiar he had mouthed along to them mockingly without even realizing it. He heard Hidan snort in contempt.

"Whatever. If I started talking about shit like that Kakuzu would call me a dumbass," Hidan exclaimed, a hint of amusement in his voice. He also sounded bitter and Sasori immediately guessed that he wasn't very happy with the miser at the moment. Kakuzu had mentioned something, but he couldn't remember what. The friendship between the two was somewhat of a mystery to Sasori as he didn't understand how Kakuzu could stand the overbearing albino and he had often heard Deidara ask Hidan why the hell he wanted to "hang out with an ancient, sadistic, miserly bastard." Unlike Sasori and Deidara, the two had not been forced together under strange circumstances and somehow voluntarily spent time together.

Then again, Sasori refused to admit to himself that he could have left Deidara's apartment at any point during the past few months and instead had chosen to stay. In his opinion, the situation was completely different.

"You should go talk to him, un. Maybe apologize?"

"Ehh? _Fuck_, no! It isn't my fucking fault he's such a clueless asshole. I'm sick of his bullshit and his greed and his complaining about how all I ever do is annoy the living crap out of him." He heard the scraping of a chair and envisioned Hidan standing up and pacing, wild gestures accompanying his angry tirade. "I fucking show him how I feel and all he can do is just _stand _there and…and…then fucking _leave!_ Without fucking saying anything!"

Sasori suddenly remembered Kakuzu mentioning an _incident_ the other day that had left him baffled and confused. He hadn't said much and all Sasori had managed to deduce was that it involved Hidan. Hearing this, he chuckled, suddenly knowing why the miser had been so out of it.

"Why should I fucking say sorry? I didn't do anything wrong. _He's _the one who should fucking apologize!"

"I'm sure he's just a bit surprised, un. He probably didn't expect you to jump him like that," Deidara reasoned. Hidan made a skeptical noise and Sasori heard him sit down heavily onto the kitchen chair.

There was a long silence and he weighed he options of walking in now and pretending he hadn't heard anything or just going to his room and waiting for Hidan to leave. He stood to leave when Hidan spoke:

"So uh…have you told him what happened yet?"

The question was met with a pained laugh and Sasori stiffened, immediately crouching down again.

"Sasori no Danna?" Deidara had, for some odd reason, begun referring to him as 'Danna' as of late. He wasn't sure why, but he simply accepted it and allowed him to continue with that name. "No, un. He's curious, but I haven't told him. And neither can you, un." This last one was said harshly, as if he suspected that Hidan was going to spill the secret.

"Okay, okay, I fucking promise, don't have a fit. You should tell him though, he deserves to know about-"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll tell him one day, un. Just…not now…" Deidara said tiredly. "I don't want him to know."

For a few seconds it didn't hit him properly, then the realization grew. Deidara had told _Hidan _what had happened. He had told him about the incident and made him promise not to tell Sasori, the man who had been living with him for four months and taking care of him and being there for him during the hardship and paid for almost everything. He had told Hidan the truth, but for some _goddamn _reason he refused to tell Sasori. He didn't care that Hidan was Deidara's best friend. He deserved to know what had happened, and for some frustrating reason the youth kept his mouth shut.

A bubble of hot rage nearly burst forth from him. He stood up, hand clenching the doorknob until his knuckles turned paper white. For a second he fancied he was seeing red from anger and shakily he forced himself to calm down. His breath caught in his throat as he turned the doorknob, opening the door with an unnecessary amount of force. The wood slammed against the wall and jolted, almost cracking from the impact.

The two men looked up from where they were sitting in surprise. Hidan was holding a beer loosely in one hand whereas Deidara had slumped forward with his chin on his crossed arms, head tilted so he could see Sasori. Upon realizing who it was, he straightened slowly, looking slightly guilty about the previous conversation. A pink tint appeared on his cheeks and he immediately looked away, letting his fringe cover most of his face.

"Hidan. _Leave_."

"Won't fucking argue with that," Hidan said nervously, jumping up and running out of the kitchen. "See you, Dei. Good luck." And then he was gone.

"Traitor," Deidara called out, half-joking, half-irritated. He sighed, standing up and putting his hands up in defeat. "Look, I know what you're about to say-"

"Perhaps I should return to my own apartment," Sasori said, his voice mild at the surface but with a current of ferocity just beneath. No matter what, Sasori Akasuna did not raise his voice, and he did not cause a scene. He found that his coldly calm voice had been a lot more effective than shouting in the past.

Deidara blinked, taken aback. "Oh, maybe not, un."

"It's obvious that even after four months, you still do not trust me enough to reveal what happened. It's either that or you enjoy stringing me along like some dog," he stated. Deidara opened his mouth to protest but the redhead put up his hand to stop him, sure that if he was interrupted he wouldn't be able to stop himself from exploding. He didn't understand why this was affecting him so much. "It doesn't matter. All it means is that nothing's changed from day one and I've just wasted my time here. I think it would be best if I just left."

"_No!_"

The sudden outburst surprised him and he stopped, staring at the younger man who had jumped up, fists clenched at his side. Deidara was scowling, no longer amused, and there was a hint of desperation to his stance that made Sasori stumble over what he was going to say. The blond shook his head violently, flyaway blond hair falling into his eyes. His skin, now fully healed with only fading scars as a memory, was paler than usual and his jaw was set stubbornly in a manner that Sasori was quite used to by now.

"You can't leave! I won't let you, un."

"And how do you think a brat like you can stop me? If I wish to leave, I don't see how you can do anything about it," Sasori scoffed, irritated by Deidara's childish arrogance. _Does he really think he can force me to stay? _He turned to go but stopped when he heard Deidara speak.

"I do trust you," he insisted. "I do, un."

"Then why won't you tell me what happened?" Sasori snapped. Deidara wilted under his fierce expression. "For four months I've kept silent, never pushing you to tell although I'm sure you could sense that I was curious. Every theory I could think of has crossed my mind, but you've never even hinted as to what happened."

"I need more time…"

"Were you attacked? Is that was happened? Did some one beat you up in an alleyway while you were drunk and you're too ashamed to tell me? Or was it rape? Is that it Deidara, did someone rape you? Is that why you won't tell me? No, maybe you were mugged. But even so, four months is apparently not long enough for you to trust me. I'm still just a stranger to you, and I've decided that I'm not interested in living here anymore." By this time he had crossed the room to the door. He looked around, noticing that some of the things strewn around belonged to him. He didn't want to return, knowing that if he did he would be tempted to stay. "I'll send Kakuzu here to pick up my things."

He paused for a second, suddenly hesitant to leave the comfort of this new home. If he hadn't been so proud, he would have regretted his outburst and maybe even apologized for what he had said. But instead he turned the doorknob and opened the door with a controlled amount of force and made to walk into the hallway when he heard a strangled whisper.

"Please…stay, un…"

Sasori stopped.

"I don't want to be alone," Deidara admitted, his voice catching in his throat as if it physically hurt to say this. His voice was desperate and vulnerable, but the pout on his face made him look sullen and sulky at having to resort to begging. "I want you to stay here…in this apartment, un."

Sasori opened his mouth to interrupt but Deidara plowed on, looking vaguely uncomfortable by his admittance.

"I know I haven't told you, but it's not because I don't trust you. It's because…I'm scared that you'll leave when you find out," he mumbled. His voice was so low that Sasori almost couldn't hear him. "The only reason I've felt safe these past few months is because you're living here. If you go I…I don't know what I'll do." His face flushed and he looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. "So please just…just stay for a little longer, un.

The next few seconds were filled with an awkward, pained silence as the older of the two simply stared in complete shock, uncertain of how to respond to the plea.

He watched as Deidara hunched over, looking defeated under Sasori's cold glare. He had obviously taken the silence as a refusal to stay and turned around. The movement spurred Sasori into speech:

"What makes you think that's a good enough reason for me to stay?" he said. Deidara's head snapped around, eyes wide and stunned. His mouth formed a surprised '_o_' as Sasori approached him, his face no longer cold but instead twisted with malice. He reached up and gripped Deidara's collar, pulling him forward until their noses were almost touching. "Why should I care if you feel safe? How does any of this benefit me? All this time it's been you, you, you. And I'm not a patient man, Deidara. I don't like waiting for answers and I despise selfish brats. And you, boy, are one of the most selfish little bastards I've ever met." To emphasize his point he gripped the collar tighter, watching as the blond twitched in discomfort.

He pushed the young man down, watching as he fell back onto the couch with a pained yelp. Deidara's expression was torn between livid and resentful as he struggled to stand, fixing his collar in an attempt to remain dignified and calm. His eyes were watering, whether from hurt or from pain, Sasori wasn't sure but he was near certain that this last move had eliminated all chance of him remaining in what had been his home for the past few months.

"You feeling safe isn't a good enough reason for me to give up my life and comfort. Are you ever going to tell me what happened?" It was one last chance for the man to redeem himself. It was more than Sasori had ever given anyone – a second chance. He surprised himself at the moment, almost eagerly waiting for Deidara to break down and reveal all in a desperate attempt to keep him here.

Deidara stood up, looking decidedly bitter and shot him a glare:

"I'll tell you what happened the day you genuinely think that art is fleeting and not eternal, you decrepit bastard! So you can just get the fuck out and return to your shit hole because I don't need you and your fucking superior attitude!"

For a split second Sasori noted that Deidara's hands were shaking violently. His hair was covering most of his face, shadowing his eyes and he was biting his lip until it bled. There was no hint of the young arrogance and confidence usually expressed on his features and to Sasori he looked strangely unfamiliar. He was someone completely different to the man he had lived with so many months, someone vulnerable and hurt. He'd seen Deidara angry so many times, even sat through a few childish tantrums that had been spawned from some careless insult but he'd never seen him so close to breaking like now.

That revelation more than anything caused him to soften and sigh, running a hand through his hair.

"You are such a child at times…and your views on art are repulsive," he mumbled, just loud enough for Deidara to hear. He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. The tension seemed to melt away within seconds and they relaxed in each other's presence.

"You like to think that art is eternal only because you're an old bag who's close to death."

"You're cocky and smug."

"You have a superiority complex."

"You look like a woman."

"You…" Deidara faltered, his hand reaching up subconsciously to his hair. "Fuck, everyone keeps saying that! Is it the hair?" He tugged at it miserably. It was true that so many people mistook him as a woman, but Sasori knew that nothing would ever force him to cut that precious hair of his.

He laughed softly and moved away from the doorknob, clearly showing that he had changed his mind. Deidara slumped down in relief, his lips twisted into a crooked smile that radiated exhaustion.

Sasori took off his coat, placing it neatly onto the couch. He suddenly felt quite embarrassed about his outburst, never having reacted like that before. Even as a child he had always been controlled, his voice never being raised to more than its normal volume. He wasn't an idiot. He knew why he had reacted in such a way. He just didn't want to think about it.

Leaving Deidara alone in the living room he went to take a shower, deliberately stretching out the time he took in the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror, arranging the toiletries on the shelf, first in alphabetical order then by size. He decided that the latter looked more organized and kept it that way, noting that he had spent about twenty minutes carefully placing all the objects next to each other. He then dried his hair, combed through it with his fingers, scrubbed the sink and hung up a new towel on the rack.

He moved himself to his bedroom, picking up his clothes and folding them. His objective was to clean up his room, but it was a short-lived mission as he was naturally organized and there was very little that needed cleaning.

Finally his need for food won out in the end and he reluctantly left the safe borders of his room. Upon stepping into the kitchen he met Deidara cheerfully eating sushi that _he _had bought. Looking back, he realized that he had been the one forking over money to pay for everything, and the blond had not even taken out his wallet once in the past four months. Taking a seat he reached for the chopsticks, plucked them out of Deidara's hand and pulled the plate towards himself.

He waited for him to protest or gesture at him rudely but when he looked up the blond was staring at him with an indescribable expression.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Just wondering…" he smirked teasingly. "Why did you react so badly to me telling Hidan? I know that you've been dying to find out what happened, but why did this exact moment trigger such anger, un? I've been wondering, and I formed some of my own theories, but I want you to tell me."

Sasori raised an eyebrow. "Your own theories? Please, elaborate. I'm quite curious to hear what half-assed stories you've conjured to explain the incident that just occurred."

The smug grin widened.

"My first theory is that you're _insanely_ jealous that I told Hidan what happened and not you-"

"Correct."

His response was met with a completely stunned silence that lasted until he finished the very last sushi. Once done, he placed the chopsticks side by side next to the plate, wiped his mouth with a tissue and then lifted his gaze expectantly. Grey eyes locked onto blue ones and for a moment there was a spark of _something _that was almost otherworldly, unexplainable and it ripped into his very core without him even realizing it.

He spoke without being able to stop himself. "I was – no, I _am_ jealous. Insanely jealous that you told your lousy bastard of a friend but never even once hinted to me what happened. But we just went through this and I'm not about to bring it up again. You'll tell me when you're ready."

His friend put up both his hands and Sasori was exposed to the jagged scars running down both his palms. They were hideous scars, and Deidara often liked to draw over them to cover them up. Today he had transformed them into mouths with tongues poking out mockingly at him, which was the most common drawing he did on the scars. Sasori thought they were vulgar, but Deidara would just stick his tongue out and tell him to deal with it or stop looking at it.

He often chose to just leave the room.

"I can't believe a cold-hearted egotist like you just admitted that you're jealous, un," he said. He shook his head, standing up. "I think I'll just leave it at that. Wouldn't want you to start feeling human emotions now, would we? That would be fucking chaos, un." His voice sounded strained and as he dumped the plate into the sink he refused to meet Sasori's stare. "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight, un."

Sasori remained in the kitchen alone for about half an hour before he decided that it was probably a good time for him to go to sleep. He washed the dishes, turned off the lights and collapsed on his bed, feeling strangely tired despite the fact that he usually slept later than this time. He pulled the covers to his chin and fell into a dreamless sleep within minutes, unaware that on the other side of the apartment his roommate would remain wide awake for the whole night.

-0-

And that ends the first chapter! This took me ages and now I'm hoping to start the second chapter soon, so hopefully it won't be too long until I update again.

Please review!


	2. The Source of Happiness

**Notes: **And here we have the second chapter that I wrote within a few days. I was just so eager to get this up here and had my friend read it for spelling mistakes. I think we caught most of them, but you never know. They're quite well hidden sometimes, and absolutely hilarious. But anyway, it's a new chapter with new events and also more involvement of Kakuzu and Hidan. I just can't help but write them in because I love them so much. I'm going to try to get cracking with the next chapter, but it's going to be difficult because I have less than a month of REAL SCHOOL LEFT! Ah, I'm so excited!

**Rating:** T for swearing and hints of violence.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto characters. _Naruto_ and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto

Chapter Two

The Source of Happiness

_The most painful attempt at small talk ever. _

"_So…how long have you been here?"_

_He's polite. He shrugs._

"'_Bout eight years or so. Just 'round this area, yeah, not moved 'round much since I lost my home."_

"_Oh…" Pause. "Do you have any friends around here?"_

_Chuckles sadly. "Nah. Not many people'd make friends with me. But there's some real friendly guys who gimme change every time they see me. Closest I've got to friends I guess you could say."_

-0-

Noisy. Bright flashing lights. Drunk, pushy people. Loud music.

In other words, everything that Sasori despised seemed to be crammed into this bar all at once. He wasn't sure how he was managing to stay calm at this moment but surprisingly, despite the number of despicably irritating things in this place he didn't feel the need to leave, which is what he would usually do in such a situation. Then again, if he just left he would be leaving behind his friends as well.

He turned to watch Hidan and Deidara conversing opposite to himself and Kakuzu. The two of them had their heads bowed together and were talking as softly as possible over the music. It was clear that they didn't want to be heard, though Sasori had no doubt as to the topic of their discussion. Hidan's hand was clutching the table so tightly his knuckles were completely white and his forehead was pulled into an angry scowl. He had just downed his fourth vodka shot and was now holding a beer bottle close to his chest as he spoke, as if protecting it from any harm.

Deidara listened, nodding and looking deeply focused on what the albino was saying, once in a while interjecting with a comment that inspired either frenzied nodding, a well-chosen swear word or a short bout of laughter. Having known the two of them together for quite a while now, he knew that this position was interchangeable between them. Oftentimes it would be Hidan listening while Deidara ranted about something bothering him. He wasn't sure, but he had an idea that he was often the source of frustration for the blond. It didn't bother him; the feeling was absolutely mutual.

"_BITCH!_"

As expected, this outburst came from the stressed albino, who was glaring at Deidara in annoyance more than fury. Deidara put up his hands apologetically, looking genuinely sorry for what he had said. Sasori deduced that it had been something to do with Hidan's religion. He only ever really picked a fight with the blond when he insulted his precious Jashin.

Sasori had never told Hidan what he thought of his religion, though it was quite obvious. When Kakuzu had made his opinions known Hidan had responded with a rude word then taken the money in the miser's hand and mimed wiping his rear with it. He'd earned a black eye, but seeing Sasori actually crack a smile and Deidara laugh hysterically had apparently been worth it.

He watched the blond sooth his friend and soon they were laughing again. Sasori wondered how Deidara and Kakuzu dealt with such a temperamental person. Then he realized that he himself and the other two weren't exactly the easiest people to get along with.

He turned to Kakuzu, who had barely spoken all night. He had taken to staring at the wall and ignoring the rest of his companions the moment they had settled. The miser had decided to keep his mask on for the night – something that Hidan often insisted he discard when they went out – but it didn't hide the scowl on his face. Sasori could almost feel the irritation radiating of his tanned skin and despite his anger he had not said anything for the past two hours. The redhead was immensely concerned, having never known Kakuzu not expressing his anger before. Whether it was a few rough words, a violent punch or an attempt on someone's life, Kakuzu always made it known when he was angered. Especially when it came to the loudmouthed Jashinist.

"Kakuzu," he said, keeping his voice low enough for the other two not to hear. "_Kakuzu_, why are you keeping so quiet?" The other man glanced over at him, his trance broken. He blinked, then frowned as his eyes traveled to where the younger men were sitting. His source of frustration was blatantly obvious and he made it clear with a shake of his head that he wasn't about to talk while the others were here.

As if on cue, Deidara looked up, smiling broadly at Sasori.

"We're going to go get some vodka to share, un. We'll be back in a bit," he announced. He helped Hidan off his chair and pulled him into a standing position. The already highly intoxicated Jashinist swayed, mumbling something about 'sacrificing heathens' and 'greedy fucktards' before stumbling off, flipping the finger at anyone he passed. Deidara rolled his eyes, clearly amused by his friend's antics.

"Will he be all right?" Sasori asked.

"Yeah, he'll be fine. He can take a lot more than this on a good night, un," he reassured. "Didn't know you even cared."

"I simply don't want him making a fool of himself. It's humiliating to be seen with him." Kakuzu made a noise of agreement, the first sound he had made since they had arrived. Deidara laughed and walked off, calling out Hidan's name. He waded amongst the crowd of people and Sasori couldn't help but watch that blonde ponytail swish before disappearing. His eyes trailed on the spot between the moving people, feeling strangely dazed.

He was brought out of his dream-like state by Kakuzu, who cleared his throat. "You two living together still going smoothly? I haven't heard you two exchange any rude insults about each other's artistic perspectives yet. Then again, it's still quite early." His mood seemed to have lightened considerably now that they were alone.

"Yes, so far he has managed not to infuriate me or attempt to spark a fight. Then again, his attention has been devoted to the source of your anger so I doubt he had much time to think of witty ways to irritate me," he said smoothly. He spoke a lot more around Kakuzu, most likely because it was quite refreshing to be with someone closer to his age and possessing a maturity that his current roommate lacked. Not to mention the same level of intelligence. They had been friends since young and although they weren't as affectionate or perhaps, unconcealed about their friendship as Deidara and Hidan, there was a bond that ran deep and was near unbreakable.

He was quite comfortable with relaying his difficulties to Kakuzu, mostly because he knew the man would listen and give him advice that would be worth following. And he had years of experience knowing that if there was one person who could keep a secret, it was Kakuzu. And unlike with other people, Kakuzu dispensed his effort and advice to Sasori without charge.

Perhaps it helped that he had his own childish little brat to deal with, making Sasori feel like he wasn't alone in his plight.

"The source of my anger?"

"Yes. Your friend Hidan seems to be quite angry with you. And though you act uncaring, you aren't as efficient in hiding your glances as you think you are. Not to mention your mood seems to have lifted with his disappearance."

"Perhaps I'm only happy that Deidara is no longer here," Kakuzu suggested. Sasori could tell that he was simply avoiding the subject.

"Don't try to delay the inevitable. You know I despise waiting, so spit it out. What happened between you and Hidan? It could not be more obvious that there has been some conflict between you. One much more serious than your usual ceaseless bickering."

"As if you and Deidara never fight," Kakuzu shot back. This comment was met with silence, as Sasori knew that he couldn't counter this. He and Deidara argued just as much as the other two.

Kakuzu drank the last of his beer – it was the cheapest of all the drinks, which was why he drank it. He pulled his mask up self-consciously once he had finished, making sure it completely covered his nose and scars. He had always been mindful of his appearance after his accident, making sure to cover up his scars when he was out in public. Only a few select people had been granted the privilege of seeing his unmasked face and Sasori was one of those few. Deidara has seen it as well, thought only recently. The two of them had silently understood why Kakuzu felt insecure about the imperfections, though it did not bother either of them when he was exposed.

Hidan, on the other hand, was the one always complaining that he hated the mask and trying to convince him to take it off. He would insult him, saying that he had been ugly before the scars and now the mask just emphasized his worst features – his eyes. Then, once Kakuzu lost his temper, he would stop swearing and tell him that he didn't need to feel insecure – the scars didn't look half bad. It was one of the rare, sincere compliments that the Jashinist would give to his friend.

"Do you remember when, a few months ago, Hidan somehow got it into his head to kiss me?" Kakuzu snapped him back to reality.

"If I recall correctly it was about three months ago."

"Yeah, well when we met again he said nothing about it. I refused to bring it up and the next day we just acted as if nothing happened. Basically, everything went back to normal, but didn't, in a way. Since then we've been tense and a lot more irritable than usual and lately everything about him has just been pissing me off. I can't _stand _him, but somehow we just kept ending up alone with each other again and again during work, on the street and out at night with friends. And we always end up arguing. No, not arguing. _Fighting_. A few punches have been thrown and at one point I managed to kick down the door to his apartment and break his table in half."

Sasori raised an eyebrow. He knew that Kakuzu was violent when enraged, but he had never heard of such a strong reaction being elicited from him. "What do you fight about?"

"That's the thing. Now we don't just fight about our usual shit. Now it's to the point where the sound of him _breathing _causes me to get annoyed and today was the last straw. I guess when I look back at it, I caused this fight, which is why Hidan is so angry tonight," he said, leaning back on the seat. "He was ranting about his religion to me, telling me that I would never get to Heaven because I refused to convert to Jashinism and would die a heathen, greedy bastard."

"In other words, the usual."

"And then, like a complete fool, I told him that he himself would not go to Heaven when he died because I doubted that Jashin approved of homosexuals, no matter how faithful they are," he said, trailing off into a tense silence. "Looking back on it, there were many moments where I was tempted to say it but managed to stop myself, knowing that it was out of line. But today I just…_snapped_. And Sasori, you should have seen the look on his face."

The redhead sighed, shaking his head. Even though he barely knew Hidan, he could just imagine what sort of reaction that comment would have elicited. "I have to admit that was a bit harsh. You _know _that something like that would scare him."

"I did know. I do know. He didn't even yell at me. He just stared at me with this frightened look on his face and then turned and left. I haven't spoken to him since and as you can see, he refuses to even acknowledge my existence. I've been contemplating apologizing, but you know that he would just tell me to fuck off."

He nodded, completely in agreement. He felt for the miser, he really did, but it was true that he had brought this one upon himself. Although they had no problem mocking Jashin, there was no point, even during an argument, where it was acceptable to imply that Hidan was anything less than what Jashin wanted him to be. He could understand that Kakuzu's words had now instilled a fear that perhaps his homosexuality_ was _unacceptable in the eyes of his god.

"But how about you? You and Deidara still have conflicting views on art?"

"Yes. I have a feeling that this argument will never be resolved." He paused. "Although I don't agree with Deidara's views, I am entirely grateful that he brought light to this subject. Before I met him, I had never even given any thought to art and now I find that this new appreciation for art has…filled some sort of emptiness inside of me. I've never felt so passionate about something."

Kakuzu was listening intently, unmoving as Sasori spoke.

"I am certain that if he hadn't come into my life, I never would have discovered my artistic values. You cannot tell him this; he would tease me without mercy, but I have to say it. My moving in with Deidara was probably the best thing that ever happened to me." He stopped, embarrassed by his confession. He could feel his cheeks flushing slightly and thanked the bar for having multi-colored disco lights. Hopefully Kakuzu wouldn't notice his blush.

If he noticed, he said nothing, instead just watching the crowd with a strange sort of intensity. He seemed mesmerized by the moving people as they danced to the music, weaving in and out between others and jumping to the beat. They noticed the other two making their way back to where they were sitting. Each of them was holding a bottle of vodka and some shot glasses. Sasori groaned, already sensing the immense headache he would be experiencing in the morning. He had never enjoyed drinking very much, despising the lack of inhibitions, the strange feeling and the foolish thought that no matter what you did there wouldn't be consequences.

"Not _again_." Kakuzu voiced his thoughts perfectly. "I can't handle another night like last time. Hidan had to _carry _me to my apartment and sit with me while I vomited."

"Was he mad?"

"No. He was actually ecstatic that for once I was wasted and he was sober," he grumbled, looking irritated.

At that moment, a guy grabbed Deidara's free hand and pulled him back until they were practically an inch from each other. He spun the man around, laughing and motioning for Deidara to dance as well. Sasori frowned, wondering whether he should step in. He didn't like the man being so close, but the blond simply smiled broadly and waved him away, continuing towards them.

"While you were puking in the toilet, I was forced to endure Deidara attempting to list off every reason why I'm a cold, uptight asshole. Surprisingly, he managed to find more reasons drunk than sober. I'm still quite annoyed by that, though he doesn't remember."

The miser chuckled. "You should get him back for that. I'd suggest putting cling foil on the toilet seat of his bathroom," Kakuzu said, the corners of his lips twitching.

"That would be juvenile. Not to mention wholly unoriginal. I believe that your suggestion comes from personal experience?" he replied, unable to stop a smile from gracing his face. He had not been present, but he had received a call about a few hours after the incident from Deidara, stating that he was in the hospital with his friend.

The miser's eyes shifted and his frown deepened considerably with embarrassment. "It was one time and it was at 3 a.m. My awareness was at an all-time low. I'd forgotten he was bitter about me throwing his rosary away and was careless. If I recall correctly, he confessed that Deidara was the one who had suggested it."

Before Sasori could answer to this the other two had finally managed to maneuver their way back to the table. Deidara placed the vodka bottles onto the table and opened one of them, pouring them into the four shot glasses. Then they sat back down onto their chairs.

"We're getting wasted tonight, gentlemen," he announced. Sasori felt his skin crawl and stomach churn at the sight of the shots. "In this game there are only two rules that Hidan and I have decided, un. First rule: at _least _five minutes between every shot. I don't want to be carrying any of you home. Second rule: if one person drinks…_everyone _drinks. No exceptions given except for unconsciousness or hurling, un." At this he smirked widely, eyes trailing challengingly over the two older men. Kakuzu said nothing, simply stared at Hidan for a second before glancing at the drinks. The Jashinist seemed to be just as determined as his friend to drink until he dropped.

"I don't think this is a sensible idea, Deidara. I refuse to take part in something so irresponsible, not to mention pointless," Sasori said flatly. The grin on his friend's face dropped immediately.

"Danna, it's just for fun, un. We all could use a fun night to relax and let go," he said. His statement was met with a contemplative silence as Sasori thought back to the last time he had gone out with his friends. It _had _been quite a while ago, and he had drunk practically nothing due to a throbbing headache. "Please, Sasori no Danna? Just for tonight, un. I won't ask this of you for at _least _another year!"

Sasori sighed, reaching for one of the shot glasses reluctantly. He forced his expression to be passive but truthfully, his stomach had jumped when Deidara had suggested that they would still be doing this in a year's time. Somewhere in there was the implication that they would still be as close next year. He liked that implication.

Deidara barked with laughter, looking smug at his victory and pushed his shot glass towards the Jashinist and the last one towards Kakuzu, who shot him a glare before taking it.

"Who's going to drink first?"

The question was answered when Hidan lifted the glass to his lips and downed it within a second. He slammed it back down onto the wooden table, eyes narrowed at the others. "Well, fuckers?"

Deidara grinned and downed his as well, grimacing at the terrible taste of the vodka and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Art is a BANG!" He threw his head back and laughed as Sasori rolled his eyes at the childishness of his statement, but felt a twinge of affection. He reached for his glass and drank the contents – a lot less dramatically. He made a face, disgusted by the burning in his throat and the hideous aftertaste. He could feel the vodka settling in his stomach, heating up his insides and, for one second, making him feel slightly nauseous. He leaned back, wishing that there were water somewhere to clear the taste.

"Not bad, for an old man, un," Deidara mocked. His voice was light and lacked any true viciousness, so Sasori let it slide.

Kakuzu had not yet drunk his shot and the others turned to him expectantly. He looked considerably aggravated by their attention but even Sasori refused to let him out of this. _I drank that liquid crap, now you have too as well_. It was immature, but he didn't care. If he was going down, he was dragging his best friend with him.

Finally Hidan spoke up.

"_Drink_, shit for brains." Kakuzu shot him a glare. "Don't be such a fucking coward!"

"Speak for yourself."

"What the _fuck _did you call me?" Hidan snapped, looking ready to rise out of his seat. Strangely, the shot seemed to have sobered him up rather than make him even more drunk. Then again, the effects probably weren't being felt yet. "Say that to my face!"

"Where the hell did I say it to the first time, you arrog-"

"_Enough!_" Sasori snarled, pulling a half-rising Kakuzu back to his seat. The taller man fell heavily onto the chair, grunting with surprise. He turned to glare at his friend but the redhead simply pointed to his drink. "Drink it. It's in the rules." For a second there was a battle of wills between them. Despite not having the advantage of height, Sasori still managed to retain an air of intimidation that made Kakuzu sigh and relent. He picked up the shot glass and drank it before he could change his mind, pulling down his mask momentarily before putting it back up.

"And so the games begin, un," Deidara said ominously.

And the games certainly did begin.

Four of the most stubborn people had just entered into a challenge in which none of them would back down. Predictably, the moment the five minutes were up one of them would immediately down their shot, forcing the others to drink as well. The alcohol was quick to affect them and, despite their high tolerances, they all managed to get completely smashed within the hour.

Sasori felt a strange light-headedness and light buzzing feeling inside of him. The vodka was still unpleasantly nestled in his stomach and for some reason he couldn't get rid of it, feeling it churning deep in his gut.

At some point, they had somehow moved around so that Deidara was sitting next to him and Kakuzu and Hidan were fighting over on the other side of the table. The Jashinist, probably the drunkest of them all due to having previously consumed a few drinks, was no longer ignoring Kakuzu but instead snarling at him with uncontained hostility. His friend was responding with vicious insults, but in Sasori's opinion neither of them knew what the other was talking about. Hidan was ranting about how Kakuzu was a disgrace to humanity and the other was commenting on how his hairstyle was stupid. Somehow they managed to rile each other up despite not even hearing what the other was saying.

Deidara had moved closer to Sasori during the course of the night, and now he left his hand on Sasori's thigh and refused to remove it. Not that he was complaining. He like the warmth and the closeness, and felt his heart flutter every time Deidara smiled at him. The blond was clearly drunk and as he reached for another shot Sasori took his wrist gently and shook his hand.

"Not now. I don't think I can handle it. Not to mention Hidan looks ready to vomit," he said. His voice had turned into a slow drawl, but still clear enough to be understood. He had always taken great care not to make a fool of himself, and the amount of alcohol in his system wasn't going to change that.

"You scared, Sasori no Danna?" Deidara mumbled. He shot him a look.

"Don't be silly. Know your limits."

The blond grabbed the glass and downed it before Sasori could say anything. With a victorious yell he smacked it back down and turned to his friend, smirking evilly. Despite his drunkenness he seemed surprisingly sharp and watched the redhead carefully for any signs of anger or violence. He looked ready to defend himself from an oncoming blow and had straightened considerably, eyes glinting.

"I know my limits, and I push them. That's what a _real _artist does, un." He leaned forward to whisper in Sasori's ear. His breath tickled his skin and he shuddered, unsure as to what he was experiencing. The closeness was almost unbearable and suddenly he felt strangely out of place. "You don't want to be outdone by a _brat_, do you, Sasori no Danna?"

As a response Sasori snatched the shot glass and drank it. He still wasn't immune to the hideous taste and immediately regretted his actions as his stomach protested and his limbs began to shake. The alcohol seemed to have hit him almost immediately and for a second he was incredibly grateful that Deidara was pressed against him, keeping him sitting straight.

"You two – _drink_, un," Deidara ordered. The other two blinked, surprised by the interruption. Hidan reached forward with an unsteady hand, muttering something under his breath, then stopped. "What's the matter, Hidan? Can't take the alcohol, un?" He teased him lightly, unaware of the strange expression on his friends face.

"Uh-oh," Kakuzu muttered, voice muffled by his mask. Hidan leaned forward, clutching his stomach and grimacing, obviously overcome by nausea. He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut and almost tumbling forward. "_Hey_, are you okay? Just breathe, and sit down." Anger forgotten, he looked concerned as Hidan swayed, on the verge of being sick. The Jashinist stumbled back onto his chair, being saved from a fall only by his friend.

"I don't…_feel_ so fucking good," he groaned. Sasori could see his face turning pale as he struggled not to throw up.

A few moments passed where Deidara and Sasori were both poised, ready to jump out of the way and save themselves from the contents of Hidan's stomach. Fortunately, as he forced himself to breathe deeply and reached for the water Sasori had smartly brought about half an hour ago he seemed to calm down and slowly returned to normal, though he still kept a hand on his stomach. He gulped down the water until it was all finished and placed it back on the table slowly.

"Feeling better, un?"

"_Ugh…_I need to go to the fucking bathroom," was the response.

"You're an idiot. You shouldn't have drunk so much before. You could have at least warned us you were at your maximum instead of forcing yourself to drink all those shots," Kakuzu said, shaking his head.

"Fuck you! I didn't know I was going to get sick, asshole! If I'd known I would've fucking controlled myself!" And like a charm, Hidan seemed to recover from his momentary bout of nausea.

"You never controlled yourself. You always just drank yourself stupid and _I _had to be the one to drag your useless ass back to your apartment and make sure you didn't die from alcohol poisoning or blood loss," Kakuzu said heatedly. Deidara jumped in, grabbing Hidan's arm and tugging him urgently.

"Let's go to the bathroom, just in case, un," he said.

Hidan glared at the miser silently before saying, "I fucking hate you. I hope you rot in Hell, you heathen bastard." Then he turned and followed the blond towards the bathroom. Kakuzu simply stared at his retreating form. To anyone else his face would have been expressionless but Sasori, who had known him for too long to be oblivious to his moods, noticed the deepening of his frown and knew that the words had had some effect. He almost reached out to pat Kakuzu comfortingly on the arm but the gesture was just too uncomfortable for him and he settled for trying to say something comforting.

"You know he always says things like that," he said. The comforting aspect fell flat and he sounded almost sarcastic. "Although I must say that you're right; you two are fighting a lot more frequently than usual."

"He's been short with me ever since I rejected him. Or at least, ever since he _thinks _I rejected him."

Sasori turned, eyes widening slightly in surprise. His friend's expression hadn't changed but he had averted his eyes and was gripping his glass with unnecessary force. The redhead suppressed the urge to chuckle and instead just shook his head, sighing. He allowed a smug smile to grace his face.

"I knew it. I knew that you liked him. I-"

"Sasori."

He immediately sensed that something was wrong and stopped his teasing, turning to where Kakuzu was looking. Following his gaze he saw that the other two had caused some commotion in the middle of the bar. Hidan was yelling at a large, drunken looking man with impressive muscles and a tattoo covering his bald head. The man was holding the Jashinist by his collar, shaking him slightly. The people around them stopped talking and dancing and Sasori could hear what was being said over the music.

"I said it was a _fucking _accident! No need to get so Jashin damned sensitive, fuckface!" Hidan was saying, struggling out of the man's grasp.

"_What did you call me?_" the man roared, shoving him back none too gently. He was swaying, obviously intoxicated and angered by something Hidan had done. He pushed Hidan back roughly again, causing him to yelp as he almost stumbled back into the bar counter. "You little _shit_! I'll fucking kill you!" His friends began to cheer him on, most of them just as drunk as he was, even worse if possible. Kakuzu had risen slightly, ready to intervene if need be. Sasori had done the same, though he was focused on searching for the blond. Hidan could take care of himself when he was sober, but at the moment his reflexes were probably a little bit compromised.

"Whoa, just calm down, un," Deidara said, stepping up. He had been standing behind another man and out of sight but now he moved forward. His hands were up in a calming motion but Sasori could see that he was tensed and ready to defend himself if need be. Unfortunately, like his friend, he looked a little bit too wasted to even begin fighting. "It was just an accident."

One of the man's friends grabbed his arm, pulling him back. "Keep out of this, blondie. When Joe gets riled up, you _don't _interfere," he warned. Sasori couldn't tell whether he was trying to protect an innocent from getting hurt or whether he was just eager to watch the fight between the silver-haired man and the tattooed giant. Sasori was sure that it was a mix of the two.

"Why does he _always _pick fights with people bigger and stronger than him?" Kakuzu groaned, exasperated. Despite his annoyance, Sasori could hear the concern leaking out and knew that the man was ready to step forward the moment things got out of hand. "Let's hope that Hidan can swear his way out of this one. Although, looking at that ogre I have a feeling this is going to get nasty. He's even taller than me…"

_This is going to turn out badly,_ Sasori thought, watching the two men in the center. Strangely enough, Hidan was still trying to get out of fighting. The usually enthusiastic Jashinist had probably sensed that he would be completely flattened by this guy and instead was trying to talk his way out of a fight in which his face would be used to wipe the floor.

Well, _talk _his way out was a bit questionable:

"I fucking said it was a fucking accident you Jashin damned retard! What are you, fucking blind, deaf and stupid? Maybe it's 'cause you're so damn tall that you can't hear me properly, asshole!"

Kakuzu made a noise that was halfway between a laugh and a groan.

The man – Joe – was cracking his knuckles menacingly and glaring down at Hidan with a homicidal look. His muscles were bunched under his shirt, veins bulging and eyes narrowing under bushy eyebrows. He was even a few inches taller than Kakuzu and a bit wider too. The last insult had apparently been one too many and before the Jashinist could continue he grabbed his shirt roughly and smashed a large fist into the side of Hidan's face.

The blow, so powerful Sasori heard a _crunch_ echo around the bar despite the music, would have sent Hidan flying back into the bar counter if he hadn't been grasping his shirt. He followed it up by another punch to his jaw and a knee to his stomach, causing him to double over coughing.

"I'll kill you, you little fuck-"

The arm that he had drawn back was interrupted in its course and he turned around hazily, trying to see what had stopped him. He was greeted with the sight of a masked Kakuzu, gaze murderous and hand slowly crushing the fist he was grasping. He let go of Hidan, who collapsed to the floor and was quickly dragged back by Deidara. Joe stared at Kakuzu, still trying to figure out what exactly was happening.

Kakuzu twisted his arm violently, grabbed the back of his head and used to momentum to slam his face against the counter once…twice…three times before letting him drop to the floor. The beast of a man was knocked unconscious and from what Sasori could see, his face was a mess. Blood dripped from his disfigured nose and mouth onto the floor and everyone in the crowd was completely silent.

"Holy _shit_," one of the men said, staring at Kakuzu in fear. He ignored them and immediately turned to his friend, who was still on the floor staring at Kakuzu in something akin to awe.

Kakuzu bent down and examined his bloodied face for a second, seemingly emotionless. "Hmph. Your nose isn't broken, but we should get something to stop the bleeding. You're going to have a bruise on your jaw and a black eye, but nothing permanent." He nodded in satisfaction and gently helped him to his feet. Hidan wobbled for a second, but stayed upright thanks to the tight grip on his arm. He nodded silently, eyes still locked onto Kakuzu and jaw slightly slack from surprise. "Let's get out of here."

"Hold on a minute."

As the four of them turned to leave, Kakuzu and Hidan leading the way, three well-built men stood in their way, arms crossed. They somewhat resembled their fallen comrade in fashion and skin, as well as the reddened, drugged looks in their eyes and drunken swaying. All of them were taller than Kakuzu and just as buff as Joe, with even more vicious looks on their faces. Sasori imagined that they weren't too happy about what Kakuzu had done to their friend. He sighed, wishing that he had just stayed home for the night.

"We don't want any trouble, gentlemen. Just let us pass and we'll be out of your way," he said calmly. He didn't trust the younger two to say anything and Kakuzu was still looking too riled up to try and be sensible.

The one in the middle – Sasori assumed he was the leader – pointed to Kakuzu. "_He _knocked Joe out and messed his face up good. We don't take kindly to people hurting one of our crew."

"I'm truly sorry about that, but he was only defending Hidan. Your friend _did _initiate the fight and we wouldn't have been forced to step in if he'd just accepted that it had been an accident." His voice was placating and soft, yet firm. It was the voice he used whenever he was trying to convince someone to do something and so far, it had rarely failed him.

"Yeah, Joe's always been a retard," one of the men said. The leader barked with laughter and seemed to relent a bit.

"We don't want anyone getting hurt, we just want to leave the bar."

For a few seconds nobody said anything until finally the leader nodded, apparently having let go of his violent urge to pummel them into the ground. He shrugged his shoulders and waved the other two men off. "Whatever. I can't be fucked to deal with you anyway. It's not like Joe's ever learned to pick his fights. Come on men, let 'em pass." The moved to the side, watching them sharply but without any bad intention.

Inwardly, Sasori crowed with victory. He had always been rather persuasive. The miser pulled his friend towards the door and Sasori followed, Deidara walking behind him.

As they were about to leave, he heard the leader say to his friend:

"Would've been two against one, anyways. The silver-haired one's down for the count and the blond seems feisty, but I don't hit girls."

_God damn it_.

-0-

"You just _couldn't _control yourself. You just _had _to break his nose. You are possibly the stupidest person I've ever met."

Deidara shot a glare at the redhead as he ranted, ice pack held firmly to his swelling eye. The cashier shot him a sympathetic look as they exited. The streets were practically empty, which wasn't unusual considering it was very late…or very early. He hadn't had the chance to check the time. He watched as the blond trudged over to the others, dumping the supplies next to them.

Hidan was laying on the ground, mumbling either curses or prayers as he attempted to limit his movement as much as possible. He managed to lift his head as Deidara sat down.

"Took you bastards long enough," he announced. His voice was scratchy, probably from the fact that some guy had been attempting to strangle him just an hour ago. He probably would have been dead if Deidara hadn't accidentally tripped over the two of them in the chaos. The bruises on his skin wouldn't fade for quite a while, but he was lucky to even be alive.

"Sorry about that. _Somebody _wouldn't stop complaining while I was trying to buy all this crap, un," Deidara answered, flopping back against the wall limply. Sasori sat onto the sidewalk, facing the others and pulling out a bottle of water.

"If you hadn't started that fight in the first place, we wouldn't have needed to buy this in the first place," Kakuzu interjected on his friend's behalf. He was currently trying to fix his mask, which had been ripped into two pieces. He had surprisingly few injuries considering he had probably been attacked by the most people. Sasori had seen about four people jump onto him at one point and watched as he'd easily thrown them off one by one. Then the redhead had received a kick to the head and lost focus.

"No one gets away with calling me a girl! And how was I supposed to know everyone else in the bar would join in the fight?"

"Idiot."

Deidara made a noise of irritation and looked away. For the next few minutes there was nothing but silence. Sasori reached up and rubbed a cut on his cheek that he'd received when someone had tried to gouge his eye out. It was crusty and felt strange, but at least it had stopped bleeding. Most of his injuries were pretty shallow with the exception of his wrist, which throbbed painfully every time he moved it.

The miser continued to fiddle with his mask, looking for ways to repair it without spending money, Sasori guessed. After a few minutes the Jashinist, who was lying next to him, reached out with a limp hand and pulled one side of the mask away.

"Fucking leave it alone. You look better without it – trust me," he said. He closed his eyes, not noticing the strange look on Kakuzu's face. Sasori noticed and smiled as he realized that the miser was _blushing_ from the comment. He cleared his throat, allowing the cloth to fall from his hands onto the floor. Sasori raised an eyebrow and turned, meeting Deidara's eyes. The two of them shared a knowing smile and the tension relaxed. "We beat their Jashin-damned asses into the ground. I reckon we could've taken down at least ten more with no problem, don't you think?"

Sasori snorted. "You're barely standing."

"Hey! I'm just tired now, but back there I was so pumped I was ready to take out way more of those guys. And I fought pretty well considering my ribs were fucking cracked."

"I guess that's true."

"Did you see those five men at the end? They looked like professional wrestlers, un," Deidara interjected. Hidan scoffed, waving away his comment.

"Kakuzu could've beat their fucking asses. Did you _see _him? Pow! Straight to the head. And that fucktard who started it all in the first place. Kakuzu here just grabs his arm and _wham!_ Straight into the counter – three times! That was fucking awesome," Hidan crowed, sitting up slightly to reach for a water bottle and an ice pack. "I have so much fucking respect for that move. Makes me think that maybe there's more to you than just being a tight ass." In Hidan language, that was a great compliment.

The corners of Kakuzu's lips twitched slightly, but he said nothing. He looked secretly pleased by what Hidan was saying.

"Deidara wasn't too bad himself," Sasori muttered. The others turned to him with surprised expressions. Deidara turned slightly red as he spoke. "I saw him take down three of them at once and not even get a scratch. I'm pretty certain one of them got knocked out from his punch."

The blond rubbed the back of his neck, grinning at Sasori's compliment. "You did pretty well too. You're pretty quick."

"That's cause he's small. It's easier for him to weave in and out of crowds," Kakuzu said, his voice teasing. He was the only one who could get away with mocking Sasori's height. Mainly because there wasn't really much he could do about it, considering Kakuzu was about twice his size.

Once they had finished all the water in the bag, they decided it was time to head home and go to sleep. Sasori couldn't stop his eyes from drooping and Deidara kept yawning loudly. They walked to the corner of the street before parting ways. He watched as Hidan grabbed Kakuzu's arm, babbling about his fighting skills and attempting to convert him to Jashinism. The miser did not push him off like usual, instead just listened and absent-mindedly played with his exposed stitches. They continued that way until turning the corner and disappearing.

He then headed off in the opposite direction with Deidara, walking in silence. Both of them were exhausted from the turn of events and the buzz from the alcohol had worn off, leaving only slight haziness.

After about five minutes of walking, he decided to speak up, feeling bored with the quiet.

"Do you think they're going to get together?"

Deidara glanced up, surprised by the sudden question. "Huh?"

"Kakuzu and Hidan. I think they're going to start going out within the week."

"Wouldn't be surprised, un. Hidan's been crazy about him since they kissed…what, three months ago?" He stopped, frowning in concentration. He began counting silently off his finger's before raising his eyebrows. "Damn. We've been living together for seven months now. That's longer than I thought."

Sasori nodded in agreement. Somehow time had just flown past while he'd been living with Deidara. He had barely noticed each day ending and now that he looked back on it, seven months really hadn't been that long. Living with the blond had not been a trial. He had found himself settling into a life that was not only comfortable, but enjoyable as well and compared to the rest of his life, he couldn't remember a time when he'd been happier.

It was only recently that he'd attributed his contentment to Deidara but ever since he'd come to that revelation, he hadn't been able to deny it. In truth, the reason he felt at home, felt like life was finally worth living, was because of Deidara. Without him, there had just been no meaning. Living had been something necessary for survival, but not something that would bring him any pleasure. Now he found that each day he woke up, he felt good. He felt – he cringed at the cheesiness – ready to face the day.

Maybe it was just because the first thing he did when he woke up was go to the kitchen and talk to Deidara.

"Wait, un." His thoughts were interrupted when the blond stopped, reaching into his pocket to pull out some change. He walked over to the homeless man sitting at the corner of the street and dropped the change into his cup.

Sasori recognized the homeless man from the many times he'd walked past. He himself had only given some money once or twice, but he knew that Deidara always stopped to throw some change in the cup, even if it was the only money he had left at the time. He said that it was because the man had always been the first to welcome him to the area when he'd moved and had promised himself that just for that kindness, he would always spare some money.

"Thanks, Dei," the man wheezed, grinning at him toothily.

"No problem, my man. Here's some extra for the past few days 'cause I haven't been around."

The man chuckled as Deidara scrabbled for more change in his pocket. He glanced behind Deidara and noticed Sasori. They had never spoken to each other that much except for the occasional "Thank you, sir" when he dropped a few coins into his cup. He had often seen the two of them together though.

"You and your boyfriend had a fun night out?"

Deidara drew back, laughing. "Oh, Sasori no Danna? Hah, as if! He's not my boyfriend."

Sasori felt a twitch of annoyance. What was so funny about that? He didn't like how Deidara was so amused by the thought of Sasori being his boyfriend. He frowned as Deidara quickly explained their situation, feeling slightly put off all of a sudden. He felt a twinge of…_something_ inside of him when they finally walked off, the blond waving behind him.

Deidara continued the conversation by himself, barely noticing that his partner was no longer responding. Sasori was too lost in his mind. He couldn't understand the strange stirrings inside of him, the whirlpool of thoughts spinning around and twisting his stomach until it became a gut wrenching pain.

_What is this…feeling? _He closed his eyes, trying to stay calm. It would not do to lose his temper now and show Deidara that he'd been affected by what he had said. _This is foolish. I can't allow myself to be so affected by a damn brat. Especially one who…doesn't see me in the same light. _Quickly he straightened, keeping his face passive. It was only then that he realized Deidara was staring at him expectantly.

"Excuse me, I wasn't paying attention."

"Danna, I've been talking for at least ten minutes, un!" he said, glaring at him. "I was telling you about my idea for my new art." Sasori blinked, suddenly quite interested. New art? So far Deidara had been forced to stop his painting due to the neighbors complaining about the fumes. Not to mention Sasori himself had felt nauseous when he entered to room. So he'd stopped painting and started sketching instead, but it hadn't been as satisfying. Oftentimes he'd started complaining about how he needed a new way to express his so-called art.

"You've finally decided?"

"Yep, un. I'm going to trying my hand at sculpting," he announced proudly. Sasori blinked. That wasn't so bad; he could recognize that as art perhaps. He'd always admired the way sculptures had endured the trials of time and retained their beauty. "Then I'm going to blow my sculptures up!" Or maybe not.

Sasori sighed, shaking his head. "You still haven't learned. Maybe one day you'll realize that there is no beauty in something that is momentary. Maybe one day you'll understand…" His voice trailed off.

They had reached the apartment and stopped now at the entrance. Both of them were headed to the same destination but for some reason, neither of them wanted to move.

"Have you ever been in love, Danna?"

The question was unexpected, but Sasori kept his face passive. There was no chance that he was going to let the other know how much the question had caught him off guard. He simply looked at the blond and shook his head. He didn't want to tell him the truth, didn't want to change anything between them.

"No. Love is for fools and I don't understand it. I have better things to do with my time than waste it on an irrational emotion such as _love_," he said flatly. He watched as Deidara's face fell and for a moment, something sparked inside of him. His heart jumped and he had to restrain himself from reaching out to him.

"Then perhaps…perhaps doing this would be useless, un," Deidara said finally, after a long pause. Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips against Sasori's tentatively.

It was better than he had ever imagined. As their lips met, he could feel his stomach fluttering and his skin tingling from the mere contact. Warmth spread from his lips into every part of his body and his mind just went completely blank. Deidara moaned and the sound caused him to shiver with pleasure. His tongue probed at Deidara's lips and he parted them. There was no way he would allow himself to be dominated. Deidara reached up hesitantly, wrapping his arms around Sasori's neck and pulling him closer.

He explored Deidara's mouth roughly, unable to hold himself back. Then he drew back, trailing kisses down his jaw. His lips burned from the touch and the blond tilted his head back to allow him to lick his neck lightly before nibbling at his skin. Before he could stop himself, Deidara gasped as his partner sucked at a sensitive spot.

"S-Sasori no Danna," he whispered, smiling. He captured Sasori's lips once more. At the sound of his name Sasori's eyes flew open and he pushed him back, pressing his palms against his chest firmly.

"Stop," he said. Deidara blinked in surprise, unsure by his sudden change in attitude.

He kept his hands on Deidara's chest, unwilling to move away. He liked the feeling of warmth against his skin. He liked the feeling of the blond so close to him, touching him, holding him. But he didn't want this right now. He wanted something else from Deidara. Something that he'd been thinking about since he'd begun to wake up to the thought of seeing Deidara's smile in the mornings, since he'd started to tease the blond about his art, since he'd decided he would never leave him.

"I don't want you to kiss me," he said sternly. He watched as Deidara's arms dropped to his side and his eyes widened with shock. He was obviously trying to hide the hurt that Sasori's statement had caused and he stepped back, voice trembling as he spoke:

"You don't…want me to…to…"

"I want you to marry me."

-0-

"_I used to stay a few blocks away, but they made me move."_

_He points the direction to her. She looks. _

"_Why did you have to move?"_

-0-

The sunlight was streaming through the window, shining onto his face until he could no longer ignore it and simply sleep. He groaned, turning around and shielding his face. The sunlight managed to seep through his fingers, blinding him momentarily.

"I thought I told you to close the curtains before to go to sleep, brat," he mumbled irritably. His partner groaned, shifting under the bed sheets. He was curled up on his chest, blond hair messily falling over his eyes. He opened his eyes and when he caught sight of Sasori's disapproving glare he chuckled.

"If you're so insistent, Danna, do it yourself." He yawned, pulling the blanket to his chin and wrapping his arms around Sasori's shoulders. The redhead rolled his eyes, waiting in complete silence.

A few seconds passed and he said nothing, still expectant.

Finally, after about a minute of waiting he heard a muttered curse. "Fine, un! I'll close the damned curtains." He rolled out of bed, stumbling towards the window and drawing the curtains shut. Sasori grinned as the blissful darkness washed over him and the threat of a headache diminished almost immediately. He gestured for his lover to come back into bed, which he did so.

He pulled Deidara close to him, reveling in the feeling of his warmth. He buried his nose in Deidara's hair, breathing in the lovely scent deeply. It was unique and lovely, something he would never admit. He adored the long, golden locks and knew that he would never allow them to be cut if he had any choice.

His mind began to wander towards the date that was quickly approaching. He barely ever spoke about it, but he had to admit that he was anticipating the marriage. There was no point since his proposal where he had had doubts about what he had done. The action had been so spontaneous, so unpredictable, so _unlike _himself that after saying it he had been shocked by his impulsiveness. His partner had replied with considerable surprise and he couldn't blame him – they'd only been living together for seven months and had had no previous romantic relationship.

Somehow, though, the kiss had just spurred on his belief that all he truly wanted was to remain with Deidara for eternity. It sounded terrible when he said it out loud, but it was a gut feeling. There was nothing in life that he had ever wanted, ever treasured as much as the blond artist. And now he was marrying him.

"You're surprisingly affectionate today, Danna, un. What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about how your art would be so much more admirable if you didn't destroy your sculptures," he said. He refused to admit the truth.

Deidara grinned smugly. "Liar. You were thinking about the wedding. I know you too well, un. You can't hide your thoughts from someone as perceptive as me." He leaned forward and licked the shell of Sasori's ear seductively. He began to mumble in the redhead's ear. He could barely hear what he was saying, too focused on the feel of his lips against his skin and his hair tickling his jaw.

Suddenly, he remembered something. Something important, something he'd kept locked away for so long in the back of his head.

He reached up and tilted Deidara's chin so that their eyes were locked together. He stared into the clear blue that he'd found himself lost in so often. They were one of his favorite features – his beautiful eyes.

"Deidara, what happened to you the day we met?"

The reaction was immediate. Deidara pulled back, stepping out of the bed and heading to the closet. He swung open the doors and snatched a t-shirt and pants, his hands trembling as he moved. Sasori watched as he pulled on the clothes, face tight with misery and completely ignoring him. He made to leave the room but Sasori leapt out of bed, grasping his arm with considerable force.

"Damn it brat, you know how much I hate waiting. I've been patient enough to remain in the dark for eight months, but I refused to wait any longer. I want you to tell me what happened, and I want you to tell me _now_," he demanded. Deidara ripped his arm out of his grip, glaring at him with unabashed anger.

"It's that why you asked me to marry you? So I'd tell you what happened to me? Then once you find out, you can leave me, un!" he yelled.

"Don't be childish, Deidara. If anyone should be worried, it's me. You don't trust me enough to tell me what happened. Every time we talked about it before you always assumed I'd leave you after you told me. Even now you seem to believe that I'd just abandon you. Do you really think so little of me? Do you even want to get married?"

"Yes!"

Sasori stopped, gasping for breath as he felt his anger draining away from him. He suddenly found himself exhausted and embarrassed by his shameful outburst. He could hear Deidara's harsh breathing and immediately wanted to just go back to bed and hide under the sheets for the rest of the day until this could all be forgotten.

He had known that Deidara wouldn't tell him. He had shown no indication of even hinting as to what happened, never mind exposing the secret. The topic had not been approached since those four months ago when they'd fought and he had a feeling that although Deidara thought about it, he still wasn't ready to tell him.

God, it was frustrating. He just wanted to strangle the brat, force it out of him if need be. But he wouldn't. He would keep himself under control for Deidara's sake and he would continue to wait, even though it was the thing he despised the most.

"I'm sorry, Danna. I know you've been waiting, and I know that you hate it. I want to tell you, but I'm still not ready and the timing…the timing is all wrong, un. But I _will _tell you, I will!" Deidara insisted vehemently, snatching Sasori's hand as if to convey his determination. His hand was soft and warm, and Sasori could feel himself relenting. He didn't show it though, merely raised an eyebrow at his lover skeptically.

"I'm beginning to doubt that."

"You know I keep my promises. And I promise I will tell you, and soon." He could feel Deidara rubbing his thumb against his palm and it made his hand tingle pleasantly. Finally he sighed, deciding to release his irritation. Perhaps he could wait for a few more months, if it meant that Deidara could still love him. Truthfully though, he could feel the twinge of cowardice inside of him. What was Deidara hiding that was so dark that he continued to believe Sasori would leave him? He was certain that he had proved the depth of his love enough, but maybe he was mistaken.

He leaned forward, capturing Deidara's lip with his own for a few seconds before pulling away. It wasn't an expression of dominance, simply his way of telling him that he was forgiven. He didn't like to say things like that out loud; it wouldn't do well to his pride.

"Tell me, Deidara, are you happy here? With me?" He wished he'd phrased it better, made it sound a little less insecure. After all, he was never insecure and he made sure Deidara knew that.

The corners of Deidara's lips twitched and Sasori cursed inwardly. The blond knew him too well. "What's this, Sasori no Danna? Feeling a bit insecure are we?"

"Answer the question, brat."

He laughed. "Of course I'm happy. I've never been happier in my entire life, un. And you should know that." An evil gleam entered his lovely blue eyes. "But I'm afraid, Danna, that _true _happiness is only fleeting, like art."

Sasori whacked him across the head and listened to the stream of curses that followed this action. He left the room, heading towards the kitchen with his mind still in turmoil.

He could accept that Deidara wouldn't tell him the truth for now, maybe even for a few more months. But he wondered how long he could wait.

If Deidara still refused to tell him after they married, after they had lived together for several years, would he still continue to wait patiently? Would he remain with the blond, knowing that there would always be that one important secret that Deidara didn't trust him with? He thought of his lover, of his hypnotizing blue eyes, the soft blond hair, the charming, smug grin on his face. He thought of his terrible perspective on art, the way he lost his temper at some of the smallest things, how he would rant about some new discovery he'd made for hours to an uninterested Sasori.

He thought about standing there in front of him, declaring his love in front of family and friends and the world and hearing him say the very same thing. He thought about returning home from work to Deidara every day, and waking up to him in the morning and lying next to him every night. He thought about those things over and over for the rest of the day.

That night, fight almost completely forgotten, he felt Deidara curl up next to him, arm around his waist and wishing him goodnight. He closed his eyes and fell asleep, unaware that he had subconsciously decided that, even if Deidara chose never to tell him, he would remain by his side until death.

-0-

There's the second chapter, hope you didn't have to wait that long. I've been having so much fun writing this pairing. Once my summer holiday starts I'm going to re-watch all of Naruto and Naruto Shippudden, because it's just so awesome. I can't wait to see Sasori and Deidara again.

Please review. They're greatly appreciated.


	3. Meant For No One Else

**Notes: **I did some research on same-sex marriages and discovered that it's currently quite complicated. In a few states marriages are legal and performed, or legal and not performed, but in many other places it is referred to as civil unions or registered partnerships. It was too complicated for me to write down properly so forgive me, but I need you to assume that Sasori and Deidara are currently legally able to get officially married and have a wedding etc.

I would also like to say that I have a Kakuzu/Hidan fic that's just waiting to be put up once this story's finished, though I haven't completely finished the first chapter yet. It's going to have Sasodei in it, so keep a lookout! If you liked this one, I'm sure you'll like the one I have coming up next. Although it'll be quite a while considering I have study leave and exams for the next two months.

Hope you enjoy and remember to review!

Chapter Three

Meant For No One Else

The clay fell to the ground, splattering onto the side of the dark brown couch and staining the material. He watched as the blond artist cursed, glaring at the stains as if the mere power of his glare could make them vanish. He scooped up the white clay, leaving streaks of white onto the material. It took a second for him to notice and began to swear once again.

Sasori sighed, returning to his work. He had woken up at four this morning and had been working since then. His company had recently merged with another and dealing with this merger was stressing him out beyond belief. Pein was making him work late and he hadn't been able to spend as much time with his beloved as he wanted, which had resulted in him being quite grumpy when he did return to the apartment.

Not to mention that the wedding was next week and he had to finish organizing the seating arrangements. They had both agreed on a small, private wedding with only close friends and family. Deidara had invited his parents, who he was relatively close to and Sasori had invited his grandmother. He did not particularly like her but she was the only family he had left and he had admitted that it would be nice to for her to see Deidara at least once. He was sure that she would approve. Not that it would change anything if she proved to be against the marriage. But he would at least give her the benefit of the doubt.

He had invited a few people from work. He had extended the invitation to his boss, Pein, and his coworkers Itachi and Kisame. They were all on friendly terms, although the Uchiha was quite solitary like himself, and he had decided to have them there once remembering a few jokes at his expense concerning his inability to have a long-term relationship. Deidara had also invited his old friends. There was his old boss, Konan, who was still in contact with him and was apparently acquainted with Pein. He had also vaguely mentioned something about a 'swirly-masked loser' and his 'schizophrenic, tree-hugging friend'.

Of course Hidan and Kakuzu were both appointed 'Best Man' a while ago and they had agreed. Hidan had expressed his joy a lot more enthusiastically than his boyfriend, but Sasori could tell that his best friend was very pleased. In the past few weeks he had seen Kakuzu express a lot more emotions than in all the years he'd known him.

"Ah, sorry about that, Sasori no Danna," Deidara said, pulling him out of his dream-like trance. He turned slowly to see that his fiancé had accidentally dropped another piece of clay onto the couch. "I think this clay is a bit too watery for my tastes. I should've just stuck to the one I usually use for my art, un." He frowned, picking up the piece and studying it. Sasori felt a twitch of annoyance as he spotted the large wet spot on the couch left by the clay.

"You shouldn't be so careless, brat. That couch was expensive," he said flatly. The blond shrugged, returning to his work. He was attempting to mold some sort of strange bird with outstretched wings. It was one of his unique styles that he managed to do with ease. This week, though, he had decided to buy a different type of clay and one of the wings was currently drooping sadly. Sasori had watched for an hour as he had attempted to right it. He was surprised by the infinite patience that Deidara seemed to have for his artwork.

"I'm an artist, un. I can't allow myself to be deterred by such little distractions."

Sasori scoffed, returning to his work. "Calling yourself an artist doesn't make you one," he muttered under his breath.

"I heard that, asshole," Deidara snapped. The corners of his lips twitched in amusement. "I'll have you know that I'm going to be really famous for my original style of art, un. After we get married, I'm going to find an agent and then present my work in an exhibition. You'll be invited of course – just out of spite - as well as Hidan and Kakuzu, and all these other rich people who are going to want to buy my artwork because it's so beautiful. Not that they can of course, because it'll all be destroyed at the end, un."

"How pointless."

"Only to you, because you have a lame-ass perspective on art, un. But I know that everyone else will appreciate it, because _they _will understand what real art is once I show them what I've done."

"People are gullible enough to believe anything you tell them. _I _don't need others to agree with me to know that art is everlasting because my views are based on universal fact, not mutual opinion. But you go ahead and set up that exhibition. Your views on art may be excruciatingly warped but I'm sure you can deceive a _few _naïve fools."

Deidara flipped him the finger, muttering under his breath. He examined the side of the bird for any flaws. "Don't know why I'm even marrying you. You're such an asshole to me, un."

Sasori chuckled, shaking his head at his fiancé's immaturity. He tried to turn back to his work but found that the sight of the blond leaning over his sculpture distracted him. He was mumbling, running delicate fingers over the malleable material and every once in a while he quickly smoothed over some detail, frowning as he did so.

He was captured by his beauty, by the curve of his back, by the definition in his arms. For a second he couldn't believe that this man could possibly be his and nobody else's. He took a moment to absorb the lovely view of the sunlight streaming through the window onto his golden hair. His skin was glistening with sweat from the hours of work and his face was enraptured by what he was doing, intensely focused on every feature of the sculpture. He itched to put his hands on that waist, to turn him around and ravish him on the-

"Ahem."

He blinked, suddenly looking up at Deidara's highly amused face. He had crossed his arms, smearing the clay over his chest and arms. His clearly defined chest and sculpted arms. His sweating, shining chest and-

"Danna!"

"What, brat?" he snapped, irritated at having been interrupted. Deidara waved a hand in front of his face. He batted it out of the way, scowling as he realized that he'd lost himself in a daydream once again. It was quite a frequent occurrence around the blond. He had never had such thoughts before but he found that when the artist was around he couldn't keep his eyes off him. He had noticed that oftentimes he would find himself waking out of some dreamy state with a small smile on his face as he watched the blond. It was annoying – he was not supposed to be the type of person who simply let his emotions drive his actions.

He quickly concentrated on what Deidara was saying. Thoughts like these weren't suitable for someone of his demeanor and poise. He didn't want Deidara knowing that he was so distracting, though he was sure that the man was completely aware of it from the ways he had often teased his lover when he knew Sasori was watching. It was irritating, yet he enjoyed it. He wouldn't admit that either, of course.

"You haven't heard a word I said, un. I was telling you about how I'm going shopping with Hidan tomorrow for a tux." Sasori glanced him up and down, smirking slightly.

"You're not going to wear a dress? Pity, I was looking forward to seeing that." His mocking spurred an evil glint in his partner's eyes. Deidara raised his hand in a threatening gesture before placing it dangerously close to Sasori's pile of papers. The redhead quickly snatched it away, glaring as a few drops of water and clay fell onto the table where his paperwork had been. "You came dangerously close to crossing the line, _brat_."

"Always do, Danna," he replied with a smirk. "That's why you love me, un."

Sasori was silent for a moment as Deidara inspected his nails. He scraped the clay off casually, flicking the bits onto the floor. With anyone else, Sasori would have told them to get out but unfortunately his fiancé was completely aware of everything he could get away with. He knew his moods and his facial expressions. He knew what almost every single gesture he made meant. And if he didn't know, he had once told Sasori, he took note of it to remember later when the gesture was repeated.

It shook him internally to think that he was being read so easily. With everyone else he was closed off, concealed under layers of secrecy and distance. Even Kakuzu had been a bit wary of him in the beginning. Not because Sasori could hurt him, just because it seemed like one wrong comment would immediately end the friendship due to his coldness.

But Deidara…Deidara was a different story. They had known each other for almost nine months and lived intimately for two of those months. But that was still such a short period of time and he was confused as to how they had so easily managed to become acute to each other's thoughts. It was strange. Sometimes he would wonder if it was going too fast, but then he would catch a glimpse of the gold band around Deidara's finger and decide that he liked it there. It was the second-best sight that he liked waking up to in the mornings. The best one being the beautiful blond artist, of course.

"Anyway, Hidan and I are going to get some tuxedos tomorrow. We're stopping by that little restaurant next to the mall for lunch."

"Why not just eat in the mall?"

"Eh, Hidan's broke. He still hasn't got a job so he's reduced to spending as little as possible. Kakuzu thinks it's hilarious because now Hidan keeps asking him to help him stop spending."

"If Hidan's broke, how is he going to rent a tux?"

Deidara's face brightened. "Oh yea, I was going to tell you about that. Hidan and I were talking and I asked him how he was going to afford a tux. I offered to lend him some money and you wouldn't believe what he told me."

"What did he tell you?"

"He told me that because he's completely broke, _Kakuzu_ offered to pay for him to rent the tux."

The silence was due to Sasori's unmistakable shock. His jaw dropped slightly and he stared at Deidara, not comprehending what he had said. He felt a strong urge to make sure his ears weren't bleeding profusely.

"He…offered to…"

"I know, right? I just couldn't believe my ears, un. I made him repeat it at least three times until he whacked me over the head with that bible of his. _Hard_. But seriously, Kakuzu! That greedy bastard never buys anything expensive for himself, never mind Hidan. I would've expected him to tell Hidan to just go in the nude if it meant saving money, un," he laughed.

Sasori chuckled, but he was stroking his chin thoughtfully. "That _is _quite strange. Did he want nothing in return?"

"Nothing, un. Well…nothing that _I _would know of," he said suggestively. Sasori paled at the image before quickly shaking it out of his mind. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, wishing that he could clear the image out of his mind completely. Unfortunately it seemed to be burned into his mind.

"Well, I would have to say that it's quite unusual a gesture considering Kakuzu hates parting with his money. Although…I have noticed a small change in his personality, especially around Hidan. He's always been quite reserved and rigid but lately he seems quite a bit relaxed. They're still constantly fighting so I would assume that the only reason it's never gotten violent is because he's released his tension in…_other _ways…"

"You bet. Hidan tells me about it – well, not all of it. Even _he _knows that some things are kept private, un." He grinned, scratching his chin and leaving white marks on his jaw. "He's changed as well. He talks less about Jashin and more about his boyfriend. The last conversation we had he mentioned Jashin _once_ – and that just part of a curse when I made him repeat what he said about Kakuzu paying for his tux. Not that I don't welcome it, un. It's nice seeing him happy and not trying to damn everyone to Hell for not converting to Jashinism. Not that he'll ever admit it. He still calls Kakuzu a greedy bastard whenever he gets the chance and gets mad at him for stupid things. But it's nicer, and not so serious. And when they're both in a good mood you can tell that they only have eyes for each other. It's sickeningly sweet, un."

"Yes, well, they should control themselves more. Love shouldn't change people noticeably. If someone were confident enough in their character and personality, they wouldn't allow themselves to be so affected by love that they change on the outside as well as on the inside," Sasori said haughtily. He felt a small headache in the back of his head as he realized that he had not done any work and it was almost time for him to leave for the office. He looked through his papers irritably, frowning as he realized that he still hadn't even touched upon half the pile. He really hadn't been working to the best of his ability lately – he needed to correct that.

"You've changed."

His head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

Deidara shrugged, not noticing his lover's surprised expression. "You _have _changed since we met. You used to be much colder and indifferent with people, un. And before you would have thoroughly told me off for getting any clay on the couch, maybe even told me to leave until you'd cooled off. And nowadays you don't even mind that much if I make you wait a little bit – though you still get mad if I'm really late – and you threaten me less when I do something stupid."

"I haven't changed."

"Danna, you've changed even more than me-"

"I _haven't _changed," he repeated venomously, his voice dark. "Don't _ever _say I've changed." Deidara blinked, then backed off, looking hurt. Silently he retreated back to his work, shoulders hunched as he realized that Sasori was _not _in a good mood.

Sasori sighed, immediately regretting his words. He hadn't meant to be short-tempered but the sudden awareness of what he was being told had dawned on him and his first reaction was to deny it. Sasori didn't like change, didn't like things to be fleeting and transient. He wasn't like his partner in that sense; he liked for things to remain the same as long as possible.

He hadn't changed in so many years. Ever since he'd been a child he had always stayed the same. He had always remained quiet and confident, but with a deep aura of intelligence and impatience that kept people on edge. His parents had commented often on how he'd never seemed to change, never seemed to _want _to change. He liked his personality and that was simply the way it was without exception.

Then Deidara had waltzed into his life unexpectedly and now he found himself doing things he'd never done before. He smiled more when the blond spoke, sought out social interaction when he felt lonely (before he'd never identified that the strange, hollow feeling was loneliness) and had even, on more than one occasion, offered to wait for the blond when he was visiting the doctor's or getting a haircut. And even more shocking, he was _glad _to do it. He liked making exceptions for his lover, but he'd never really consciously acknowledged it.

He watched as Deidara grabbed a piece of clay and began to viciously slam it against the table. He winced, feeling foolish at his snappy comment. The artist had only been stating a fact, after all, and hadn't seen it as an offensive comment. Then again, it hadn't been offensive. Only an idiot like him would take it the wrong way.

He shook his head, standing up without a sound and making his way over to his fiancé. Deidara jumped slightly when two arms wrapped around his waist and Sasori rested his chin onto the blond's shoulders.

"Fuck off, un," Deidara mumbled. He ignored him, breathing in the scent of his hair and running his hands up his sides. He brushed his lips against the crook of the blond's neck gently, ignoring the fact that he was being completely unresponsive. He nibbled at his skin teasingly until finally Deidara relaxed against him. "You're such an ass sometimes, you know…"

"I know, I apologize…it's just been a long day and I haven't done as much work as I hoped. There's just been so much happening, what with the wedding and the merger-"

"Blah, blah, blah, un. What's the real reason you snapped at me?"

He sighed, closing his eyes. Deidara knew him too well.

"You're right, that's not all. I guess I was just…caught off guard when you told me that I had changed. No one has ever told me that, because it hasn't happened. Ever since I was a child I've been cold and shut off and impatient without exception. Then suddenly you just walk in and a few months later I _propose _to you without hesitation. And I haven't ever regretted it, because there's nothing to regret. I'm just shocked, that's all. And I'm sorry." He tightened his grip around his lover possessively, as if worried that he would get mad.

Instead he reached up and intertwined his fingers with Sasori. His hands were wet from the clay but he didn't mind, simply brushed the skin with his thumb absent-mindedly.

"You're an idiot, Danna. Love is _supposed _to change people."

"Love? Who said anything about love?" Sasori mocked. Deidara turned around and bopped him on the head lightly.

"Bastard, un."

He pressed his lips against Deidara's, forcing him to lean back slightly until his hips hit the edge of the table. The blond squirmed, trying to escape from his grip but he held fast. He knew that Deidara was only pretending to still be mad at him and smiled, breaking away from the kiss. He moved down to his neck, biting hard enough for him to flinch, but not enough to draw blood. His hands were roaming slowly on his fiancé's skin, exploring what was _his. _

Deidara finally relinquished, a rare giggle escaping his lips and he tilted his head back to enjoy Sasori's ministrations. The redhead complied easily, humming his contentment. The vibrations made Deidara shift slightly and reached up, tangling his fingers in the soft red hair. The contact sent an electric jolt down Sasori's spine and he felt warmth travel down his body.

All of a sudden he heard a strange, wet thud and blinked in surprise as Deidara yelped. The blond straightened, looking completely caught off guard and the two of them turned to see what had just happened.

His sculpture had fallen to the ground and was now a white, lumpy mess of clay splattered on the wooden floorboards. The bird was deformed beyond recognition and he didn't have to be a sculptor to know that there was no way for Deidara to save it.

The two of them stared at it for a second, stunned, before bursting into laughter. Sasori doubled over, clutching his stomach while Deidara leaned against the table. The top of the table was still wet from the clay. His hand slipped and he almost fell forward comically, spurring on their mirth until they could barely stand up.

Once their bout of laughter was over, the blond had retreated to the floor, grinning madly and wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes while his partner was sat on the couch. He stood up and began to clear the clay, dumping it back onto the table. The sculpture was beyond help but Deidara didn't seem to mind. As the two of them cleaned up the mess he took the chance to steal a few kisses from his Danna. Sasori accepted them without complaint and before his lover moved to the kitchen he grabbed him and granted him a short, sweet peck and a smile.

About an hour later he shuffled his papers and slid them into his briefcase, sighing as he did so. He really didn't want to go to work today; he would much rather spend time with Deidara. He felt like he'd been neglecting him lately due to returning home so late. He knew that the blond understood though, which he felt terrible for but it couldn't be helped.

He walked into the kitchen where Deidara was making pancakes for breakfast. He pulled his hair back, brushing his lips against the artist's neck. He felt him shiver underneath and he growled: "I don't _want _to go to work…"

"You'll be fine, un. At least Pein _likes_ you. Konan was a raging bitch whenever I fucked up. I mean, don't get me wrong, she was an awesome boss, but you just _don't_ mess with her. She used to threaten to castrate me if I stepped out of line. She tried once, I think. My recollection of that event is a bit fuzzy, un."

He watched as Deidara stacked the pancakes onto a plate and slid them onto the table. Sasori put a small swirl of maple syrup on the top before digging in. They were absolutely delicious. His lover sat across from him and grabbed the maple syrup. He smothered the pancakes in syrup, and Sasori watched in disgust.

"That's absolutely repulsive. I don't know how you can eat that," he said, wrinkling his nose.

"That's because a frail, decrepit old man like you wouldn't be able to handle the sugar, un," Deidara retorted.

He shot him a weak glare, but it was ruined by the twitching of his lips. He pierced another piece of pancake with his fork and ate it carefully, trying to show Deidara that at least _he _had some class. The youth seemed intent on choking himself with his food, like he always did whenever he ate in the mornings. He attributed it to being forced to wake up so early and his tiredness meant he didn't have to eat like a proper human being.

Once they had finished, he asked Deidara what he was going to do while he was at work.

"I'm going to sculpt something for our wedding," he said thoughtfully.

Sasori groaned. "You're not going to destroy it during the vows are you? I doubt my grandmother would appreciate you blowing it up and giving her a minor heart attack, even if you _do _label it as 'art'."

The other man just laughed and shook his head. "Nah, I'll destroy it after the wedding. Maybe I won't blow it up. Maybe I could simply get a hammer and smash it to bits. Or maybe I could make an ice sculpture instead. That'll melt without me even having to do anything. But I don't think I could learn how to do it properly in time for the wedding…"

He stopped, lost in thought.

"What would you want to create? Another one of your birds? I refuse to allow any insect sculptures at our wedding, just so you know. I've already made it clear that I've never liked those, especially after your little prank last month."

"Actually, I was thinking of doing you in the nude."

Sasori choked on his coffee while Deidara snickered at his expression, clearly amused.

Once it was time to leave he put his coat on and grabbed his briefcase. Deidara was sitting at the kitchen table, sketching out the plan for his next piece of art. His eyes were barely focused and he was lost in thought – like he always was when he had an idea on his new piece of art. He was humming to himself cheerfully, running his other hand through his precious blond hair.

He cleared his throat to get his attention. Deidara glanced up, surprised.

"Don't call me during work, brat. Not today – I'll be too busy to talk to you anyway. And I won't be able to meet you for lunch, but I'll try to get off work early so we can have dinner together. Is that all right with you?" he asked. Deidara nodded, smiling.

"That's fine, un. I'll be able to get more work done too." They kissed, Sasori leaning down to Deidara's level. It took all of his effort not to deepen the kiss once the blond reached up around his neck to pull him close and he pulled away, groaning reluctantly. He really, _really_ didn't want to leave.

He moved to go and stopped, reaching for the maple syrup surreptitiously. He wrapped an arm around Deidara from behind, lifting the bottle directly above the blond's hair and whispered in his ear:

"This is revenge for calling me old and decrepit…"

"_What the-?!_"

He quickly chucked the bottle away and hurried out of there, a wicked smile on his face. Once he reached the door he slipped out and waited a few seconds, holding it open. He heard Deidara howl furiously.

"_Sasori no Danna, you bastard!!_"

The wrathful blond appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, looking murderous. Sasori simply blew him a kiss.

"I love you too, brat," he called, before closing the door. He left the building, feeling smug and decidedly more immature than ever before.

-0-

The figure was hunched and menacing, with the face of an old man and the body of a human, though it was strangely deformed. It was crouched and on all fours in an attack position, looking ready to jump if the need arose.

The arms and legs were identical to that of a humans with the exception of the left arm, which was encased in some sort of bulky armor with cylindrical spikes jutting out – obviously a weapon.

The most interesting though, was the grinning face on the back of the puppet. The orange head was protruding gruesomely, piercing blue eyes set in yellow, narrowed and glaring out from under the curved brow. Its grinning mouth was open and a long, metallic colored tail with a pointed tip, similar to a scorpion's tail.

The face was tanned and there were five locks of hair pulled back from the scalp in a strange style and sticking up, like a jagged headdress. The detail on its face made it seem like it was permanently frowning, but only its eyes could be seen. The bottom half of the face was covered by a ragged mask. Sasori reached up and gently lifted the mask to reveal the lips and nose.

Overall the effect was quite monstrous, but Sasori adored it. He couldn't recall ever having been so enamored with an object before. He had found the puppet at a store on his way to work, sitting on a display shelf in an antique store. It had been almost hidden in the collection of puppets gathered at the corner of the window, but he had stopping at a red light and it had immediately caught his attention. Although he'd been somewhat late for work – something that never happened considering he despised making people wait – he had parked near the shop and entered it, immediately pointing out the unique figure and stating that he wanted it.

The shopkeeper, an old man who had been eager to sell it, had told him that the puppets were meant to last for eternity. Or at least, the creator had wanted them to last even after his death, insistent on leaving behind some legacy. His art had been lost and overshadowed after his death and all that remained was the puppet Sasori had bought and a few others. The rest had been broken or sold as toys to children. Few knew their real value, and this had immediately drawn the redhead. The word "eternity" had grasped his attention and he knew that he _had _to have it, no matter what.

He set it onto the table as if it were made of glass and carefully pulled the strings apart so they were no longer knotted together. The contraption was relatively simple, but he had no idea how to actually make the puppet move properly and after a few pathetic attempts he realized that manipulating it was harder than it looked.

"What is that?"

The voice jolted him out of his reverie and he glanced up, feeling sheepish. His boss, Pein, was staring down at him with an amused look on his face. The man, clad in a neat suit, had an intimidating aura to almost everyone he met. The fact that his face had multiple piercings didn't seem to improve that image. Thankfully, Sasori had known him for several years and the mutual respect they had for each other was the only thing that kept him from knowing he wouldn't be fired for slacking on the job.

"I saw it on the way to work on display. It caught my interest so I purchased it," he said, placing in on the corner of the table. "The owner informed me that it was named _'Hiruko'_ and is meant to last for an eternity if taken care of properly. I plan on showing this to Deidara in order to show him the meaning of true art."

Pein chuckled, sitting down across from Sasori. "You two still arguing over that? Kakuzu keeps telling me about it."

"It's our number one topic for discussion, surprisingly. Who would have thought? I'd never felt any interest in it before but…now I find myself thinking about it more often than not."

His boss quirked an eyebrow. "I bet that's not all you find yourself thinking about. How are the wedding preparations going?" He was awarded with a pained groan and laughed.

"I never knew that the happiest day of my life needed months and months of intense organization. We planned a small wedding and somehow I've found people calling me demanding I add an extra place for their significant others or for children I didn't know they had. Deidara got into multiple fights with the wedding planner, the florist and the photographer and eventually fired all of them last week, so I had to go searching for more people to hire." He rubbed his eyes tiredly, but managed a smile. Pein was silent, staring at his with a curious expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I'm surprised, Sasori. You never seemed like the type to tolerate that sort of behavior, even from your boyfriend. I would've thought that him causing complications would make you leave. But somehow, you barely seem to be bothered by it."

"Deidara's worth it." The blunt admission made them both pause, before they relaxed and smiled at each other. Pein looked like he'd been taken off guard by what had just been said. He leaned back against the chair and surveyed Sasori as if he'd never seen him before.

"Curious…curious…you've changed. I'm not sure what to think," he said, almost purring with delight. Sasori frowned, wondering what he was up to. He certainly didn't like that devious look on his usually serious face. It meant that he was either planning something, or he'd already planned it and it was going his way. He'd had too much experience with Pein to not recognize that expression. The man ran a hand through his bright orange hair and reached up to tug at a piercing in a way that made Sasori wince. "Perhaps I shall lose after all…"

His ears perked up. "Lose? What do you mean, lose?"

"Well, Sasori, I have a confession. I placed a bet with Kakuzu when he told me you proposed to your new beau. I told him that the Sasori I knew would never in a million years tie himself down to some youngster he'd met only a few months ago. He challenged me on that and now that the date is approaching, I find myself more and more convinced that maybe I was wrong about you," he drawled.

The redhead would have been completely insulted by these actions if not for the fact that he knew that Kakuzu would go at any length to earn some money, and that Pein would enjoy proving him to be a willing bachelor. His boss had always told Sasori that he was incapable of having a long-term relationship and would drive off any woman or man with his shell-like, distant personality. Up until now, there had been no evidence to prove him wrong.

Instead he just reached up and began to fumble with Hiruko hazily, feeling strangely light-headed and content. He had yet to prove Pein wrong about his love life and now was the perfect opportunity to rub in his face the possibility that the man might _not _be so good at reading people.

"Though I have to admit that this is one bet I would be quite happy to lose. I'm looking forward to seeing a miserable bastard like you finally being married off. Not to mention Konan, who I've renewed contact with after you informed me that she'd be at the wedding, has been telling me about your fiancé. She's eager to meet him again. Apparently he was one of her favorites." He hesitated, then smirked. "She's also quite excited to meet the man who has – and I quote – "finally tied the blond bitch down". I assure you that those were her words and not mine."

Sasori lazily entwined his fingers in the puppet strings, chuckling as Pein spoke. He had heard a lot about Konan, and in truth he was interested to meet her as well. It was rare that Deidara spoke so highly of anyone and although he had complained about her numerous times, there was no mistaking the deep respect he held for her.

Pein continued to speak with him casually for a few more minutes, mostly about topics outside of work. The two of them had been very stressed out from the current projects in the company and it was quite a relief for them to speak of things that didn't concern their jobs. They had been old colleagues and good friends many years before until Pein had taken over another company. The business, which had been struggling not to shut down, grew immensely and rapidly under his charge and about a year later he had approached his old coworkers and offered them jobs in his company. Among them had been Sasori and Kakuzu who had jumped at the chance.

There was no bitterness between them and Sasori was immensely grateful for his work, despite the overbearing amount of paperwork. He was earning enough to secure a great future for himself and Deidara. He hadn't said anything to his partner, but he had put some money aside for the blond artist in case he wanted to pursue his dream and needed a financial boost. It was money he was willing to part with if it made Deidara happy.

When his phone began to ring, Sasori ignored it.

Pein waited until the third ring before finally saying:

"You do realize that as your boss, I'm not entitled to pick that up for you, right?" he said teasingly. Sasori rolled his eyes.

"Leave it. It's Deidara. I happened to accidentally pour maple syrup onto his hair before leaving this morning and as punishment he says he's going to call me as much as he can and leave me idiotic messages. I know he's just waiting for me to snap and pick up," he huffed, glaring at the phone as if it had offended him.

Pein shook his head in amusement before saying, "You know, I really want to meet this boy. He sounds like the last person you would ever marry. I would have expected you to tie the knot with someone much more serious and mature, and not so childish."

"He's not childish," Sasori defended immediately, feeling embarrassed. "He may sound childish, but once you get to know him you'll see that he's actually very thoughtful and mature." He was interrupted by the phone.

"_Sasori Akasuna speaking. Please leave your message after the beep."_

The machine beeped and they both turned their heads.

"_Daaaaaaaaaaannaaaaa. Daaaaaaaaaaannnaaaaaa. Daaaaaaaaaaannaaaaaaaa. Daaaaaaaaaannnaaaaaaa."_

Sasori buried his head in his hands.

"_. You're probably really irritated with me right now, un. But that's what you get for being an asshole because I'm not going to stop calling you until you pick up. Now I'm off, but I'll be back…oh, and also…true-art-is-fleeting-and-not-eternal- HA! And if you don't pick up to contradict me in five seconds I win. Five…four…threetwoone, suck it, Sasori no Danna. You lose."_

He had hung up.

Sasori could only stare at the machine, his face flushed and humiliated as Pein laughed uproariously, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. He stood up, clutching his stomach and backed away towards the door. The blush on the redhead's face only spurred him to laugh more and he walked out without saying anything more. Not that he really needed to after what had just happened.

Sasori inwardly cursed Deidara, feeling incredibly embarrassed that Pein had heard that particular message. He was simply grateful that Pein was an old friend and not just someone he worked under. The situation would have been ten times more humiliating. Not to mention it would have been difficult to explain why he even allowed his lover to make calls like that during working hours.

He glowered at the phone, biting back the urge to call Deidara back. He knew the blond would only laugh at his bad timing and tease him for getting so worked up over it. There was really no point to yelling at him.

He snorted, scratching his cheek and returning to his work. He only realized a few minutes later that he was grinning and quickly stopped, attempting to remain serious as he wrote.

He picked up his work and walked over to Kakuzu's office. The miser was working on the company's finances and barely looked up when Sasori came in, asking if he could work with him for a while. His friend was too busy working to talk so instead they simply sat in silence, each of them concentration on their own jobs until only the scratching of their pens could be heard. This was the way they usually were when they worked – completely silent and focused. It was why they tried to not be around their significant others when concentrating on their jobs because Deidara and Hidan just made it impossible. The two of them were loud, rambunctious and easily distracted.

Once he had finished he glanced up at the clock and realized that their lunch break was in ten minutes. Turning to the miser he asked, "Do you want to go to lunch? There's a new sushi restaurant just across from here that I've been quite anxious to try."

Without a word the other man nodded and stood up. He opened his briefcase to organize the files neatly into them and Sasori caught a glimpse of a photograph stuck on the corner of the briefcase. It was a picture of Hidan trying to remove Kakuzu's mask from behind while the older man was prying his hands away and scowling up at him. Deidara had taken the picture without them realizing it.

Speaking of Deidara, he reminded himself to call the other man back once his lunch break was over.

"Nice photograph," he commented. Kakuzu flushed slightly and snapped the briefcase shut.

"Hidan super glued it to my briefcase and I can't take it off because I don't want to ruin the material," he mumbled in explanation. Sasori smirked but said nothing. He knew that his best friend would deny the truth until the day he died.

Kakuzu then cleared his throat and quickly shoved the briefcase under his desk before straightening. "You ready?"

They left the building, chatting amiably as they crossed the street. The streets were relatively empty and none of the drivers in the cars seemed to be in any hurry. Like them, everyone seemed quite relaxed on this lazy afternoon and even when they entered the restaurant the noise was at an acceptable volume and the place was only half full.

They chose a seat in the corner, farthest away from the rest of the customers, and began to thumb through the menu. Kakuzu was, of course, looking for the cheapest foodstuffs that he could find while Sasori just looked for something that would be average price, tasty and not too big. He hadn't eaten Japanese in a long time, but he was still quite full from the pancakes and didn't really want to force himself.

Once they ordered Kakuzu made himself comfortable in his chair and watched the others customers with an unreadable expression. He had kept his mask on like always and Sasori knew that during the course of the meal it would come off as little as possible. Hidan may have made it clear he despised the mask, but the redhead knew that Kakuzu would always have that small insecurity in public.

"Has it hit you yet that in a week you'll be a married man?" he asked suddenly, his voice gruff.

"Yes, it's crossed my mind quite a few times," he answered, ignoring the tingling feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Speaking of that, I heard that you made a bet with Pein that I would go through with the marriage. I would like to thank you for the confidence you have in me. Especially since Pein made it clear he thinks I'm an unlovable bastard."

"You are, for the most part, but there seems to have been an exception to that. I wouldn't have made that bet, but hearing Hidan talk about the two of you made me counter what Pein was saying as a…spur of the moment thing, I guess you could say. Usually I tell that damn Jashinist to shut the fuck up but for once it seems like I'll be making some profit out of his stupidity," he grumbled, though it was clear that he was only teasing.

"I still can't fathom how the two of you managed to be a relationship. Then again, it's only been a few months so I guess we'll have to see the outcome. Have you ever considered marriage?"

Kakuzu nearly choked on his water.

"Sasori! We've only been together for…less than two months! Don't you think it's a little too early to think about that?" he spluttered. Once he had regained his calmed he quickly pulled up his mask, but Sasori had already seen the light tinge of color on his cheeks.

"I'm just pulling your leg, Kakuzu. You know that," he said, quickly using his cup of water to cover up his amused smirk. Somehow, the miser seemed to sense this and shot him a fierce look. "But, on a purely hypothetical basis, do you think it will ever happen?"

There was a momentary pause as the man seemed to consider what he as being asked. He stroked the edge of his mask and looked up at the ceiling, deep in thought. His eyes were narrowed slightly but he relaxed before he spoke.

"Perhaps, though I doubt it. Neither of us is the marrying type and I'm not even sure if Hidan's religion condones marriage. After all, it involves officially tying yourself to another person. Now Hidan has no problem having a relationship, but I'm not sure if he'd want to blatantly disregard the rules of Jashinism for a marriage. I think I'm okay with that, considering I'm not very keen on having to pay for a wedding, no matter how small. Although we don't necessarily need to have a wedding…" he hesitated, and Sasori could see that he was seriously pondering the subject.

It surprised him as he realized how much all four of them had changed from the circumstances. He hadn't really noticed it. He really was a bit too set in his ways – though Deidara didn't need to know about that stray thought.

"I guess we'll just have to wait. At the moment it's still a love…_square_, I guess you could call it, between the two of us, Jashin and my money. Neither of us are willing to give up our little obsessions but I wouldn't ask Hidan to give up his religion and he does not ask for my money, so I think that as long as it stay that way, the two of us are happy whichever way this relationship goes," he said with determined finality. His rough voice had softened during his speech.

The waitress arrived with their food, setting it down on the table and halting their conversation. They ate slowly, once in a while striking up another conversation but the two of them were lost in thought for the most part. Their meal was finished within the half hour and they sat at the table. The restaurant began to fill up with more customers and the noise level rose.

Sasori wondered how many voicemails had been left for him. He quickly explained the situation to Kakuzu, who laughed when he head that Pein had been present. He was also close to their boss, almost as much as Sasori.

"I'm guessing he just laughed when he heard it?"

"He'd jump at any opportunity to humiliate me, you know that. He didn't say anything, just walked about. But I have a feeling that's it's not the last time I'm going to hear about that incident."

"You could have it worse," Kakuzu muttered, so low that Sasori almost didn't hear him speak. "At least your lover didn't call out Jashin's name in bed…"

The redhead, who was looking at the receipt, smacked it down in momentary shock and immediately tried to suppress his laughter. It was a failed attempt and he turned away, shoulders trembling violently.

Needless to say, Kakuzu refused to talk to him until they reached the office. He trudged into the hall without a single word, leaving Sasori to stir in his own mirth as he reached his desk. He settled down into his chair and glanced at his phone, wondering how many new voicemails he had gotten from Deidara. He looked around to make sure no one was around and that the door was closed.

Once he was sure that he was alone, he reached for the machine, eager to hear the sound of his fiancé's voice.

Of course, he just happened to be interrupted by Pein. The man saw that Sasori was in the midst of reaching for the phone and smirked, but did not comment. Instead, he said:

"You have a phone call from my office."

Sasori raised an eyebrow. "What, Deidara's given up on calling me and decided to bother you instead? Maybe he's hoping that I lose my job and have to spend all my time at home with him." Pein snorted.

"It's not Deidara. It's your landlady. And as for losing your job - not likely. Where else are you going to find a boss that puts up with your blatant puppet fetish?"

"Oh be quiet," he muttered, pushing past the grinning man and entering the hall. He decided that he would listen to the voicemails later, in private with no one else to hear. After all, they were meant for no one else but him.

-0-

"_Were there any casualties?"_

_A sad nod. "Yeah, the terrorist who caused the explosion was killed. Oh, n' the kid who lived in the apartment was injured pretty bad. The funny thin' is, he wasn't even their target. Police says they fucked up on the addresses and tried to kill the wrong guy. The kid had nothing to do with 'em. I know him, ya know – he used to gimme some change every time he passed. Nice kid. Blond hair and the bluest eyes ever. They carried him away on a stretcher."_

"_Oh my goodness. The poor boy…did he die?" Her hand moves to cover her mouth and her eyes glisten with pity._

"_Kid was alive last I saw. A bit burnt n' banged up, but alive."_

_Honking. They look up. A girl waves from the driver's seat of a car. _

"_Sakura! Over here!" _

_She gets up and nods to him gratefully. "I hope that the boy's okay. Oh and, thank you for waiting with me."_

"_No problem." _

_She leaves and he picks up his cup, getting up from the bench. Maybe the policemen have left. _

-0-

His first thought was that the light was too bright. The sun's rays were streaming through the window as they usually did in the morning, much to his annoyance. Even though the bed was nice and warm and comfortable, he couldn't enjoy it with the glaring light against his eyelids. He groaned and turned, burying his head into his pillow. It did nothing to help his problem.

"Close the curtains, brat," he grumbled. He reached up and gestured weakly towards the window. His answer was met with silence and he kicked the other side of the bed. He hit nothing but thin air. It took a few seconds for him to realize that Deidara wasn't sulking and glanced up, noticing that he wasn't there. "Deidara?"

He opened his eyes and looked around. The room was empty except for himself. Blearily he rubbed his eyes, frowning to himself. "Deidara?"

Standing up, he yawned and made his way across the room clad in nothing but baggy pants. His hair was a mess and his eyelids felt heavy from lack of sleep. Opening the door the sounds of bacon sizzling in the kitchen met his ears. He could smell the delicious scent of his breakfast wafting across the air.

_If breakfast tastes as delicious as it smells, maybe I'll forgive him for not shutting the curtains_, he thought mildly.

Sasori walked to the answering machine and frowned. There was something different about the phone, thought he couldn't place what it was. The light was blinking, indicating a new message. He sat down to listen to the message, scratching his cheek as the phone beeped.

"_You have reached Chiyo Akasuna's machine. Please leave a message after the beep." _

He frowned. _My grandmother's machine? What? _He didn't have time to think about it when the caller began to speak. Immediately he recognized the speaker as Hidan.

"_Hey Sasori…it's Hidan speaking…" _The redhead wondered why the Jashinist's voice was so scratchy and hoarse. He sounded like he'd been crying for a long time. _"I know you d-didn't want to be disturbed…but I only c-called to t-tell you that…to tell you that…fuck, I…I called to tell you…" _

His sobs echoed over the speakers and Sasori could hear him breaking down over the phone. He could hear someone whispering something in the background and the sound of someone taking the phone away gently. Kakuzu's voice filled the room.

"_Give me the phone, Hidan. I'll tell him. No, don't apologize; it's not your fault." _

Then he spoke, addressing Sasori. _"Hello Sasori…your grandmother gave us this number to call you, in case you were wondering. We were just calling to tell you that the…funeral is next week at three pm." _

He paused. Sasori felt his chest tighten and he stared at the machine, silently mouthing the word '_funeral' _to himself.

"_I…I hope you're all right. No one's heard from you since it happened and I've told them to leave you alone, but I'm worried about you. Please call me. If you don't I'll drop by for a bit to make sure you're okay. Pein's giving you the rest of the month off, just so you know." _He cleared his throat uncomfortably._ "I want you to know that I'm here for you…if you need to talk." _

Then he hung up, leaving a thick silence in his wake.

Sasori felt like his body weighed a ton and his limbs were made of water. Hollowly, he looked around the apartment, only now realizing that he wasn't in his own apartment, but his grandmother's. The walls were bare and beige, not like the walls of his and Deidara's apartment, which were covered in the blond artist's beautiful artwork.

His memories, blurred from the night of restless and nightmare-filled sleep, were beginning to come back to him and slowly, agonizingly he pieced back the events of the past few days.

Yes, now he remembered. He had moved in here after the explosion had taken away his apartment…had taken away his everything…

He heard someone call his name from the kitchen.

"Sasori? Grandson, is that you?"

Instinctively he stood up, backing away from his stranger's apartment. This furniture wasn't his…this couch wasn't the couch Deidara had sat on…this table was the one Deidara had placed his coffee on…this air wasn't the air that his beautiful Deidara had breathed…

None of this was his, none of this was Deidara's!

He stumbled back into his room, shutting the door behind him. The room was still bright from the sunlight but he couldn't close the curtains. That was Deidara's job and he couldn't bring himself to do it now. Dazedly he collapsed onto the bed that he had been sleeping on for the past few days – the bed that Deidara had never slept on – and curled up on his side, eyes focused intensely on the untouched side.

Slowly he brought one trembling hand up to the sheets and placed his hand there, wishing that he could feel the warmth of his lover's skin and not the wet tears on his cheeks.

-0-

The day passed by with Sasori refusing to leave his bed until evening. Once the sun began to set he finally managed to drag his unwilling body out of bed and throw on some clothes. He was sure that they were the clothes he had worn for the past two days but he couldn't care less. All he could think about was of how everything seemed to remind him of his love.

He trudged onto the street, letting his body lead him to wherever. He could barely think – what with his lack of sleep since the incident. At the moment if his legs led him off a bridge and into dark oblivion, he was glad to follow. He couldn't think of any reason why he should continue living at this moment.

Fortunately for him, he found himself at his office a few hours later. The halls and rooms seemed unfamiliar to him and as he entered his floor he was passed by one of his coworkers, who barely spared him a glance. He must have looked quite a sight – dirty and tired with wrinkled clothes and messy hair. Almost blindly he made his way into his own office, his sanctuary, and flopped onto his chair, rubbing his forehead.

He couldn't understand why there was this ache…this pain in his chest. Desperately he searched for a way to rid himself of this pain, even if only for a second but couldn't think of anything that would help. He'd never experienced something like this before.

Absent-mindedly he reached up and decided to play his messages on the phone. Maybe there was something there was would distract him.

"_Sasori Akasuna speaking. Please leave your message after the beep."_

_BEEP_

"_Sasori no Danna, you bastard!" _

He straightened up, eyes wide as it came back to him. The messages! He'd never listened to the messages Deidara had sent him! He scrambled for the phone and gently hugged it to him, encasing it in his arms and leaning his forehead against his arm as he listened to the voice of his once-lover.

"_Hey Sasori no Danna, un. I'm calling because you told me not to, of course. And I would've listened if not for what you did this morning. Do __you know how long it took for me to get that shit out of my hair? I was in the shower for ages, un. Now we're out of shampoo so you'd better buy some before you come back home. And now that you've pissed me off I'm going to call you every half and hour just to get back at you. This is the first of many messages, un. And even you can't say you didn't deserve it for what you did to me, you arrogant asshole." _

The phone beeped. He squeezed his eyes shut, remembering how he had smirked when he'd heard that first message.

_BEEP_

"_Daaaaaaaaaaannaaaaa. Daaaaaaaaaaannnaaaaaa. Daaaaaaaaaaannaaaaaaaa. Daaaaaaaaaannnaaaaaaa. . You're probably really irritated with me right now, un. But that's what you get for being an asshole because I'm not going to stop calling you until you pick up. Now I'm off, but I'll be back…oh, and also…true-art-is-fleeting-and-not-eternal- HA! And if you don't pick up to contradict me in five seconds I win. Five…four…threetwoone, suck it, Sasori no Danna. You lose."_

He laughed harshly, feeling tears drip down his chin.

_BEEP_

"_Um…this isn't a message to annoy you, un. I just got into a fight with the band who are playing for our wedding, so you're going to have to find a new one. Sorry about that…"_

_BEEP_

"_You know, Sasori, I had an epiphany this afternoon while I was working on my art. I think that the day we get married, I'll tell you what happened to me. You've been so patient when you're the most impatient man I've ever met, and I think that you not hating me for it is what made me change my mind. So thank you…for that, Sasori no Danna. Heh, it was easier to say this over the phone than in person…"_

_BEEP_

"_You know, I never told you this but I had a crush on you when we first met, after Kakuzu introduced us. I really liked the way you talked and uh…your hair. I don't think you noticed me much, but I noticed you. I was always excited when Hidan told me that Kakuzu was going to bring you along but you never seemed to care much about whether I was there or not. So I have to say that…I was really glad that night…that it was you who found me. I…oh wait, someone's at the door. That's strange…maybe it's Hidan. I'll be right back, un. I still have until dinner to piss you off, my love, un." _

_BEEP_

There was nothing but silence. That had been the last one...

Without a word, he reached up and began to replay the messages.

_BEEP_

"_Hey Sasori no Danna, un. I'm calling because you told me not to, of course…"_

-0-

The End.


End file.
